Wisconsin - War Declared on State Sector Workers [Archive]

Android

14th February 2011, 22:49

Not sure if this is the right place to post this or not.

Link (http://www.leftcom.org/en/articles/2011-02-14/wisconsin-war-declared-on-state-sector-workers)

The Governor of the State of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, has just dropped the anvil on public sector workers statewide. This is the start of a nationwide offensive to wipe out public sector unions. The state are going bankrupt and slipping into default because they refuse to increase revenue from the only potential source left to collect from, income taxes. The answer to this probably is popularly portrayed as needing necessary cuts to state, county and municipal workers pay, health insurance, and pensions.

Ultimately the right to collectively bargain will be legally restricted to pay alone, while no pay increases beyond the Consumer Price Index adjusted inflation measure (which is a hedonically weighted fraud that doesn’t reflect real price inflation). State workers are asked to contribute between 17% to 18% out of their paychecks to health insurance and pensions — amounting to a massive pay cut. Pay will be frozen for the next three years. University employees would lose the right to form unions. Some 170,000 state, county and municipal workers stand to be affected by this move. AFSCME was born among state sector workers in Wisconsin, to crush the union would be a feather in the cap for the state bosses and could effectively bring about the eventual deaths of all state sector unions nationwide. This will hit teachers hard as well. Further unionization in the state sector would be against the law. Unions stand to lose automatic dues check off that comes out of all workers checks in areas where their union negotiated their work contracts. This could amount to a quarter to a third of all dues payers being off the rolls. This situation is one faced by state workers in Ohio, Florida and around the country, even around the world. The threat to call out the army in this situation is probably not simply a bluff.

The unions already negotiated a deal with the previous administration for $100 million in cuts to benefits along with an outright 3% pay reduction. The Governor was looking for much more than this and could’ve bargained much more from the unions than they offered in their first offer. He has threatened to call out the National Guard to take over the entire state sector in the event of a strike, which is not likely because state sector workers haven’t ever technically had a right to strike and will not be able to go on strike, even if they wanted to. If the state prison guards go on strike, he will have the army come and they will start running the state prisons.

In 1971 when unions got their collective bargaining agreements legislated along with a no strike clause. This was legislated into state law and has been the basis of peace among state sector workers for forty years. This agreement is gone. The best the unions can do is call for a two day protest followed by lobbying of state legislators. There has been a move to recall election of the Governor as well, this is largely just a protest and stands no chance of gaining an actual recall vote. Unions have planned protests in the coming week. The unions will protest this but there is little they can do.

Over the years the State of Wisconsin has farmed out all custodial work to private custodial services that heavily exploit immigrant labor. Thousands of positions have gone unfilled for years. Almost every time a worker with seniority retires a job is eliminated permanently. Office functions have been distributed into a hub system where different branches of educational and government functionaries have been combined into one single support staff.

The current hiring freeze has been in effect for years now and followed a hiring freeze in the 1990s. The use of temporary workers and “limited term employees” has increased alongside the privatization schemes, hiring freezes, and cuts. The previous Governor introduced furlough days that amounted to a three-week unpaid leave (a rolling layoff) for all state employees. On the same token, the legislators voted themselves a 4% pay raise.

Workers here in Madison are asking their unions “when will we go on strike”, and many are more than ready to do so, most workers don’t realize that there is no “right” to strike here for any government employees. The right to form a union was allowed because of legislation that precluded strike activity and gave collective bargaining and grievance procedures.

Only the police, and firefighters unions were spared from this because they supported the Governor’s election bid and were rewarded accordingly. The election bid for Wisconsin governor was typical for capitalist elections. It was bought and paid for by the likes of the billionaire Koch brothers, who have most likely never so much as stepped foot in Wisconsin. So the bourgeoisie elected itself an idiot “businessman” who was given his position at his company by his wife who was the daughter of the founder. The police and firefighters will get cut sooner or later it is only a matter of time, for now their support is useful to the administration in helping to divide and crush the other unions. Without raising revenue, belt-tightening will only beget more belt-tightening. That’s the operating idea in order to eliminate the costs associated with variable capital in the state sector.

Students in the state are facing a “Badger Partnership Plan” put forward by the state university administration that aims at increasing their tuition by removing caps on tuition increases. It also aims at eliminating requirements to allot seats for students from Wisconsin to attend their own flagship university. It further seeks to cement the deep relationship between corporate donors and the University’s corporate research business.

The State teachers union WEAC has recently given its approval to plans to cut up the Milwaukee Public School district, destroy teacher seniority pay, and introduce “merit pay” determined by administrators who have no real knowledge of what it takes to actually do the work (most ed “reformers” are talking out their asses of course). Either you spend $15,000 to $20,000 per pupil per year or you get what you pay for–a bad education. Milwaukee spends about $12,000 per pupil or less. We have African-American “leaders” in the Urban League stumping for schools segregated by race and sex, in effect supporting a new “separate but equal doctrine” of re-segregation of public schools under the guise of “reform”. Milwaukee was a laboratory of reactionary experiments in education such as school voucher programs so that parents could take their students out of Milwaukee schools and get a voucher from the city to pay for their children’s private school educations. This bled yet more needed funding as well as skimming high performing students out of the public schools that affect the test based performance school funding schemes. The AFT, called WEAC here in Wisconsin support these schemes that attack teachers, so school employees cannot rely on them to wage any serious struggle against these attacks.

Taxes in Wisconsin consist of cigarette taxes, alcohol taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, the “Lottery” (taking money from chumps suckered into the dream of “winning”) and many similar punitive anti-worker revenue collection measures. The Federal government has long starved the states of funding for those things the federal government has asked the states to do. This in turn has accelerated the bankruptcy of the states. The state-capitalists here are using bankruptcy to shed themselves of expensive pension benefits, just as was done to autoworkers in the “private sector”. The states’ bond ratings are heavily based upon the state regimes willingness to attack state workers. The refusal of the executive branch in Washington DC, under Clinton, Bush and Obama, has created this situation by refusing to give any aid to the states at all while giving the last of everything to the military and the security apparatus.

AS

15th February 2011, 05:27

Yep. Scott Walker. Wish I could've made it to the rally at the capitol building today.

Bad Grrrl Agro

15th February 2011, 15:05

I hate that pig!

thriller

15th February 2011, 15:09

There are two protests today and tomorrow at the Capitol to oppose Walkers agenda. Please come out and show Walker the revolutionaries will fight him. Look for the red flag! :D

bcbm

15th February 2011, 15:22

i'll be there, look for the wu-tang sign

Bad Grrrl Agro

15th February 2011, 15:25

There are two protests today and tomorrow at the Capitol to oppose Walkers agenda. Please come out and show Walker the revolutionaries will fight him. Look for the red flag! :D
I can't go. It's my soon to be mother-in-law's birthday. Also, I'm in Milwaukee.

bcbm

15th February 2011, 15:28

there was a big bus from mke i think, not that that helps u now lol

Across The Street

15th February 2011, 15:33

Makes me sick.

The money spent on the military budget could easily be converted to money for education and income.

If we don't have people with the knowledge of how to defend the country, a defense budget is worthless.

Bad Grrrl Agro

15th February 2011, 16:06

I'm going on a bus from voces de la frontera tomorrow

KurtFF8

15th February 2011, 21:28

DN report on the situation http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/15/wisconsin_governor_launches_attack_on_public

Bad Grrrl Agro

16th February 2011, 00:36

No my fiance needs me here.

Edit: He told me I should go after all. But he can't make it.

thriller

16th February 2011, 02:19

i'll be there, look for the wu-tang sign
Nice!
I brought a sign to the tea party rally last year that said Cash Rules Everything Around Me!

16th February 2011, 02:43

I work full time, I'm not going to be there...

B5C

16th February 2011, 03:02

I am just watching the Ed show right now. From the reports that 10,000 workers came out too the protests.

bcbm

16th February 2011, 05:53

Nice!
I brought a sign to the tea party rally last year that said Cash Rules Everything Around Me!

didn't see y'all out there

Iraultzaile Ezkerreko

16th February 2011, 20:29

Report from the Front Lines (http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/16/workers-draw-line-wisconsin)

Apparently 20,000 people showed up and many held signs comparing Walker to Mubarak. It was also interesting to hear reports that the graduate students union led a march of 1,000 students on Valentines Day and that the Firefighters protested despite being exempt from the current bill.

Proukunin

16th February 2011, 20:35

Workers of Wisconsin and the World, Unite!

Ocean Seal

16th February 2011, 21:15

S.Artesian

16th February 2011, 21:18

What bothers me is the low media coverage of this event. When the tea-baggers rallied, it was on the news for months. And now workers are finally organizing against their oppressors cuts, and the media ignores it. Typical :mad:.

NPR had it on their radio hourly newscast.

Is there a vote scheduled in the legislature today?

Jimmie Higgins

16th February 2011, 23:21

Tens of thousands of people have been protesting this.

SocialistWorker.org: Workers draw the line in Wisconsin (http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/16/workers-draw-line-wisconsin)

Hmmm... larger crowds than a lot of the nationally covered Tea-Party protests... looks like a lot of "real Americans" in that crowd (actually even real-er than the tea-party "real Americans" because the protesters aren't 99% white - and that's even in Wisconsin)... So why hasn't this been covered in the news? Oh yeah, I forgot, protests in the US only get covered if they are Pro-business.

Chimurenga.

17th February 2011, 00:10

If this completely goes through, this will be a historic defeat for workers not just in Wisconsin, but for the working class in this country.

Here is an on the ground interview posted today (http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/interview-wisconsin-labor-battle.html)

Here is an interview with a high school student who participated in a walkout with a hundred of her schoolmates. (http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/eyewitness-wisconsin-student-walkout.html)

And here is an article with some additional background information and also looking at how the National Guard has been used against workers in Wisconsin and in the US: http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/wisconsin-national-guard-labor.html

Widerstand

17th February 2011, 01:02

The state is using it's armed forces against it's own employees? shit.

B5C

17th February 2011, 01:05

The state is using it's armed forces against it's own employees? shit.

Not yet, but threating.

Rufio

17th February 2011, 01:09

Tens of thousands of people have been protesting this.

Hmmm... larger crowds than a lot of the nationally covered Tea-Party protests... looks like a lot of "real Americans" in that crowd (actually even real-er than the tea-party "real Americans" because the protesters aren't 99% white - and that's even in Wisconsin)... So why hasn't this been covered in the news? Oh yeah, I forgot, protests in the US only get covered if they are Pro-business.
Here in the UK you wouldn't know there were any Americans that were pro union. It's heartening to see there are still workers willing to take up their own struggle rather than 'tea party' lunatics that want to enslave themselves. Solidarity is a concept that hardly seems to exist any more but I can only wish good luck and solidarity to the workers of Wisconsin.

Widerstand

17th February 2011, 01:11

Not yet, but threating.

Bad enough anyhow. As is this ridiculous bill. But state-led union busting undoubtedly is on the austerity plan mostly everywhere.

Ele'ill

17th February 2011, 01:56

I'm sure the national guard would be used to crush civil unrest but they're on call to take over state prison duties in the event of walkouts. No?

The catch is that the workers being affected by the public sector attacks are in quite a few cases also part of the national guard- as was mentioned I think in the DN! coverage or a peripheral article.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/149930/wisc._governor_makes_a_threat_to_sic_the_national_ guard_on_union_workers_

Iraultzaile Ezkerreko

17th February 2011, 02:54

KurtFF8

17th February 2011, 03:09

This is going to be a very important moment for the American working class as a whole

S.Artesian

17th February 2011, 03:20

Holy crap this is insane. Workers and Protesters should make signs comparing this Governor to Mubarak.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-budgetwoes-nation,0,771747.story

Not insane at all. Just part of the assault on living standards necessary to transfer wealth up the ladder and into the bourgeoisie's pockets.

Free market/asset liquidationist/death squad/boutique/gated community/poverty-is-progress capitalism at work.

Ele'ill

17th February 2011, 03:46

Can we get a link to the proposed legislation? http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=billhist&jd=top Where is it in here?

Does someone want to break it down and list how various areas of the public sector are going to be effected and compare it to how things were before hand?

Blackscare

17th February 2011, 03:56

Ele'ill

17th February 2011, 03:58

S.Artesian

17th February 2011, 04:05

January 2011 Special Session
2011 - 2012 LEGISLATURE
ASSEMBLY BILL 11 http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll/Session%20Related/2011%20Text%20of%20Proposals/img/pdf%20icon (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2011/data/JR1AB-11.pdf)
Link to Bill History (http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=xhitlist$xhitlist_x=Advanced$xhitlis t_vpc=first$xhitlist_xsl=querylink.xsl$xhitlist_se l=title;path;content-type;home-title$xhitlist_d=%7Bbillhist%7D$xhitlist_q=[field%20folio-destination-name:%27AB11JR1%27]$xhitlist_md=target-id=0-0-0-61)

http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=billhist&jd=top

In the left hand column select 2011 Introduced proposals. Then scroll down to AB11JR1.

It's 139 pages, might take me a bit of time to go through the entire thing. I'm sure a union, or maybe Labor Notes has put something up with all the details.

S.Artesian

17th February 2011, 05:14

Hey guys, don't forget, protesting never helps anything and these workers should go home and draw up plans for worker's councils with their spare time (which they may have more of, if they're unable to fight against layoffs/hour reduction).

That's odd. I always thought protesting and direct confrontation were the surest routes to workers councils.

Jimmie Higgins

17th February 2011, 14:43

Not insane at all. Just part of the assault on living standards necessary to transfer wealth up the ladder and into the bourgeoisie's pockets.

Free market/asset liquidationist/death squad/boutique/gated community/poverty-is-progress capitalism at work.Really? Shit - maybe I should be against capitalism then:lol:.

Maybe this is just proletarian paranoia on my part, but has US ruling class just opened up space for Obama-style cuts to be the lesser evil and direct repression of workers as the greater evil? It'll be bizarre to see how the next election goes down. Liberals: well, you have to vote for Obama even though he wants to privatize education because Romney says he'll napalm unionized teachers if he's elected.

S.Artesian

17th February 2011, 14:52

Really? Shit - maybe I should be against capitalism then:lol:.

Good place to start.

Maybe this is just proletarian paranoia on my part, but has US ruling class just opened up space for Obama-style cuts to be the lesser evil and direct repression of workers as the greater evil? It'll be bizarre to see how the next election goes down. Liberals: well, you have to vote for Obama even though he wants to privatize education because Romney says he'll napalm unionized teachers if he's elected.

Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean you don't have real enemies.

I don't think the ruling class plots things that well.

Things can always get worse, and the bourgeoisie will see to it.

Like Bush jr. was worse than Reagan. Like Palin will make Bush jr. seem like a statesman.

Capitalism requires certain politics at certain time. In the US that translates as the bourgeoisie electing Democrats when they want to try and get out of a recession. And electing Republicans when they're going into one so they can knock the snot out of the workers.

A choice of cancer or polio, as the Rolling Stones once sang.

Hexen

17th February 2011, 14:59

Liberals: well, you have to vote for Obama even though he wants to privatize education because Romney says he'll napalm unionized teachers if he's elected.

Either way the game is rigged and we're inevitably fucked.

thriller

17th February 2011, 15:14

Update:
So many people have been showing up to the Capitol, sleeping in the assembly lobby, it is very union/worker driven. Almost every school in Dane County (county that Madison is in) is closed because teachers are going to the protest. What's even more awesome is high school students have been showing up to support their teachers. Students from a school on the east side of Madison marched all the way up the main street to the Capitol with the marching band playing. Cops and Firefighters are protesting the bill even though Walker left them out of the bill to try to divide the working class. It's so fucking exciting!

Mar3L, I don't have link. However the bill has measures to cut pensions, health care coverage and unions ability to collectively bargain.

thriller

17th February 2011, 15:16

The vote is scheduled for the 17th. So tomorrow. It looks like they might win, though it's possible it will be amended. I'm waiting for the General Strike that gets called after this passes. If AFSCME and others don't fight this attack with all their power and possible tactics, then they should be replaced by a new organization because they have lost what little credibility business unions had left.

The AFSCME prison guards went on strike maybe 15 years a go (not positive). I believe they will use their strength to fight this if it passes. The unions here are proud and strong and never go down without a fight.

S.Artesian

17th February 2011, 16:05

Can we get a link to the proposed legislation? http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gat...illhist&jd=top Where is it in here?

Does someone want to break it down and list how various areas of the public sector are going to be effected and compare it to how things were before hand?

January 2011 Special Session
2011 - 2012 LEGISLATURE
ASSEMBLY BILL 11 http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll/Session%20Related/2011%20Text%20of%20Proposals/img/pdf%20icon (http://www.anonym.to/?http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2011/data/JR1AB-11.pdf)
Link to Bill History (http://www.anonym.to/?http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=xhitlist$xhitlist_x=Advanced$xhitlis t_vpc=first$xhitlist_xsl=querylink.xsl$xhitlist_se l=title;path;content-type;home-title$xhitlist_d=%7Bbillhist%7D$xhitlist_q=[field%20folio-destination-name:%27AB11JR1%27]$xhitlist_md=target-id=0-0-0-61)

http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gat...illhist&jd=top (http://www.anonym.to/?http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=billhist&jd=top)

In the left hand column select 2011 Introduced proposals. Then scroll down to AB11JR1.

It's 139 pages, might take me a bit of time to go through the entire thing. I'm sure a union, or maybe Labor Notes has put something up with all the details.
http://www.revleft.com/vb/revleft/misc/progress.gif

chegitz guevara

17th February 2011, 17:25

A comrade just texted me and said the National Guard has been sent to Madison.

chegitz guevara

17th February 2011, 17:26

I just got a text saying the National Guard has been sent to Madison.

Sasha

17th February 2011, 17:48

30.000 workers brazen the cold to protest: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/16/133814271/union-changes-in-wisconsin-spark-protests

students are staging solidarty walk outs, state threathens disceplnary actions: http://www.wisn.com/r/26895003/detail.html

money quote: "is the national guard going to teach our school kids?"

bricolage

17th February 2011, 19:00

30,000 is very shocking, I wouldn't imagine those numbers in America. It is promising to see.

Hey guys, don't forget, protesting never helps anything and these workers should go home and draw up plans for worker's councils with their spare time (which they may have more of, if they're unable to fight against layoffs/hour reduction).
What a genius comment...

bcbm

17th February 2011, 19:20

democrats leaving to madison to shut down assembly (http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_01c093f0-3ac0-11e0-ba01-001cc4c002e0.html)

protests are ongoing, occupation of capitol planned through next week (people have been sleeping there since tuesday). i haven't been this proud of my state in a long time:thumbup1:

ckaihatsu

17th February 2011, 19:45

March Forward Letter to Wisconsin National Guard: Stand with the workers!

Tens of thousands of workers and students are occupying the Capitol Building in Madison, Wis., trying to stop Gov. Scott Walker and his allies from passing legislation designed to strip public-sector workers of collective bargaining rights, and to bust their unions. Walker has announced that he is preparing to call out the National Guard and other law enforcement officers. In response, March Forward!, an organization of active-duty service members and veterans, has issued the following open letter to the Wisconsin National Guard. Please share it far and wide on Facebook and other social media websites.

Veterans and GIs to the Wisconsin National Guard:
‘Stand with the workers and students!’

To our brothers and sisters in the Wisconsin National Guard:
The lives of Wisconsin teachers and school faculty are under attack; the Governor is trying to scare them with the National Guard to shut them up.

We are writing to you as veterans and active duty troops, who are watching closely the growing protests in your state.

Your governor, Scott Walker, is preparing to use you to smash the right of your family, friends and neighbors to peacefully demonstrate.

There are two sides in this fight.

On one side stand thousands of teachers, high school and college students, public sector workers, steelworkers, janitors, firefighters and nurses.

On the other side stands a tiny group of multi-millionaire business executives and corporate fat cats, represented by their good friend Scott Walker.

Those protesting are from the same neighborhoods and communities we all come from. They work the same jobs and attend the same schools. Many of you probably have family and friends demonstrating.

We know why most of us joined the military: for a job, access to health care and the ability to go to college. That is the very same reason why over 10,000 people have risen up in protest—for jobs, decent benefits and education. Those rights are under attack. Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin families are at risk.

There is an economic crisis in Wisconsin, just like the rest of the country. And like his counterparts in the rest of the country, the Governor of Wisconsin wants to make working families shoulder the cost instead of cutting into the pockets of the wealthiest 1 percent.

We have nothing in common with Walker and his millionaire buddies. None of us own any factories or take home million-dollar bonus checks. In fact, unemployment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is 15 percent, nearly double the national average. We have everything in common with those exercising their right to demonstrate—because we are dealing with the same economic hardships that they are. Their struggle is our struggle.

The Wisconsin National Guard already has a dark history of acting against their own communities. Over the years they have been ordered to enforce racist segregation laws, intimidate and attack civil rights demonstrations and crush workers on strike, including the Milwaukee firefighters union in 1973.

The workers and students in Wisconsin are making history right now. If you are called upon, you will make history too—either notoriously, by following bogus orders from corporate lackeys to rob your community of their right to demand a better life; or heroically, by standing with your brothers and sisters and refusing to use force to defend the bonus checks of a few CEOs.

Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the students, teachers, and working families who are corageously fighting for their lives, not against them! They are not our enemies; our enemies are the ones pulling the strings from corporate boardrooms. It is your right to enter the history books as heroes who stood with your community, not as thugs for big business.

Read up-to-the-minute eyewitness coverage from Liberation newspaper:
Breaking news: 'We have moved into the Capitol Building.'
Eyewitness from Wisconsin’s labor battle
High school walk-out: Youth and students stand up for public-sector workers

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
http://www.AnswerCoalition.org/
[email protected]
National Office in Washington DC: 202-265-1948
Boston: 857-334-5084 | New York City: 212-694-8720 | Chicago: 773-463-0311
San Francisco: 415-821-6545| Los Angeles: 213-251-1025 | Albuquerque: 505-268-2488

ckaihatsu

17th February 2011, 19:59

draw up plans for worker's councils

For whatever it's worth, here are a couple of tools that may be appropriate here, for impromptu self-organization....

[17] Prioritization Chart

http://postimage.org/image/35hop84dg/

[16] Affinity Group Workflow Tracker

http://postimage.org/image/1cqt82ps4/

bricolage

17th February 2011, 21:30

Has someone already posted this?
If not I thought it was a good piece.

It is, they insist, the first counter-strike in a class war being waged against workers...
The solidarity required to challenge the entire economic system will need to extend beyond public and private union members to the general public, activists said. Carmen Clark urged fellow union members to talk with friends and family about what the resistance to "the owning class" is about...
Labor activist Ron Blascoe declared that the time was right for a general strike -- a refusal to work by all public and private workers -- to pressure politicians to enact reforms. The call for such action will not come from union leadership, he predicted. "They will tell us it is too radical, but Walker's plan is too radical. This is no time to be cautious."http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/grassroots/article_b8243b38-398f-11e0-a7bd-001cc4c03286.html

apawllo

17th February 2011, 21:54

I'm amazed at what is going on in Wisconsin right now. Essentially the same bill is being discussed in Ohio with firefighters and police included. Apparently about 500,000 workers will be affected, and there's little opposition to speak of. We need to put together something more than the couple thousand that have been gathering at the capital, and hopefully sooner rather than later. In the mean time, best of luck to these workers in WI; they have the fighting spirit already which should prove beneficial in the end.

Decolonize The Left

17th February 2011, 22:11

Can a mod merge the two threads? It'd be really helpful as I was going to post the article on the Dems leaving the state, but bcbm beat me to it...

- August

Putzpie

17th February 2011, 22:14

My school did a protest around the town. We walked down main street, and down to city hall telling them to kill the bill.

Fucking exciting shit.

Also, some guy drove past us with "Walk like an Egyptian" written in dirt on the back of his truck.

Very thrilling.

Os Cangaceiros

17th February 2011, 23:11

Someone on libcom described the situation vis-a-vis the assault on public workers/unions in general as capital's "final solution" in response to the crisis. I thought that was an interesting remark.

Rusty Shackleford

17th February 2011, 23:15

source (http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/wisconsin-labor-inside-capitol.html)

The bill apparently has enough votes to pass. They are going to vote on this thing any moment now so workers have decided to put all of the hesitation behind us and now we’re packed into the actual Capitol Building. The demonstrations are no longer focused outside. We have moved into the Capitol Building.
Demonstrations outside and inside the Wisconsin State Capitol Building are now in their fourth day. Tens of thousands of workers and students have taken dramatic actions to protest the bill promoted by Gov. Scott Walker that would strip public-sector workers of the right to bargain collectively.
The following is an interview conducted at 10am CT today, Feb. 17, with Austin Thompson, who is at the scene of the protest on the third level of the Rotunda.
Liberation News: What’s it like there?
Austin Thompson: The bill apparently has enough votes to pass. They are going to vote on this thing any moment now so workers have decided to put all of the hesitation behind us and now we’re packed into the actual Capitol Building. The demonstrations are no longer focused outside. We have moved into the Capitol Building.
There are thousands of people inside here. No one can move. I’m in a crowd of people. The police have blocked off several of passageways. Our goal is to make this place so packed that this bill won’t be able to go to a vote without hearing the voice of the workers.
It’s a very lively situation. It’s unusual for State Capitol Buildings to be packed like this. There are union organizers, students, rank-and-file workers and others. People are chanting “kill the bill” and singing “solidarity forever, the unions make us stronger.”
Throughout the day the actions are expected to escalate as they get closer to voting on the bill. There is a feeling that it may be passed. I’m not sure what that will mean for the demonstrations. I can assure you that workers aren’t going to take that lying down.
Liberation News: How many people do you think are there—is it larger or smaller than yesterday? Is there any difference in the composition from today to yesterday—is it the same workers, more unions, more young people?
Austin Thompson: The crowds are much, much larger than they have been at any other point in the demonstration. They are so large that there is no room to move around the Capitol Rotunda or floor levels above the Rotunda.
The demographics are much different than the other days. Now it’s mostly unions, although students are still involved. The vast majority of people here are workers. It’s a sea of red. I see teachers, corrections officers, firefighters, nurses—this is literally the workers, that is the only way I can explain it. These are workers who are on strike today or have taken off work.
We’re getting word that we’re expecting well over 50,000 people to come out today. It is the workers who make this state move. The workers who are here are the ones who serve the community. I don’t see how the legislatures can pass the bill given what’s happening here. This is historic.
The politicians are literally hiding. They are escaping through secret passageways so they won’t have to hear the voice of the workers.
What’s happening at this moment is only the beginning. After 12 noon, we are expecting busloads of workers from many different unions. This is a major escalation—that’s the only way I can describe it.

17th February 2011, 23:19

Merged

Stranger Than Paradise

17th February 2011, 23:24

The response of students and workers is heartening. This is horrible news though.

qCsG4g0dzJo

Sasha

17th February 2011, 23:34

threads merged

the last donut of the night

17th February 2011, 23:38

This is scary and exciting news. For fairly recent news, workers are coming together to protest this. And not just a few, thousands! The scary part is, of course, that the National Guard is being sent to Madison. Let's see how this goes down, let's hope for victory.

Solidarity from a nerd in Brazil, dudes

Rusty Shackleford

17th February 2011, 23:46

would it be safe to say the american labor struggle may have been reborn?

also, im waiting to see a "Wisconsin protesters emboldened by Green Bay Packers superbowl vitory" article from the Onion.

YSR

17th February 2011, 23:50

No need for an Onion article, several Packers have already released a statement putting out their support for the movement and the NFL player's union put one out as well. Rodgers is the union rep for the Pack, let's see if he puts anything out there.

I hope to be down on Saturday with my union. BCBM or anybody else, pm me with any details of places where comrades are needed, I'm hoping to bring some folks from the Twin Cities.

chimx

17th February 2011, 23:53

would it be safe to say the american labor struggle may have been reborn?

Don't get ahead of yourself. It's great that wisconsin is standing up for their collective bargaining rights, but to suppose this implies some sort of growing consciousness nationally is naive.

On another note, I have read that wisconsin democrats are AWOL, and have possibly left the state since there are threats of their arrest since they left the legislature without a quorum (making it impossible to pass any laws). Is there any truth to this?

Rusty Shackleford

17th February 2011, 23:54

WI National Guard has not been called out.

Just liked the Wisconsin National Guard page on facebook and so far there were 2 statements saying they have not been called out.

but, liking it, you may be able to put some textual pressure on them at least

i have not heard of any arrest warrants for democrats.

On another note, I have read that wisconsin democrats are AWOL, and have possibly left the state since there are threats of their arrest since they left the legislature without a quorum (making it impossible to pass any laws). Is there any truth to this?

18th February 2011, 01:22

The police are searching for them, there aren't any arrest warrants.

Klaatu

18th February 2011, 03:10

The unions have a great leader in Ed Shultz. (The Ed Show, MSNBC)

Ed has admitted that he is a Socialist. He is the biggest advocate for workers in the U.S. right now!

Â¿Que?

18th February 2011, 04:02

The only problem I see with all this is that eventually the people are going to have to take the initiative themselves. The unions and the democratic party will back off as soon as they win their victory, and then tell everyone to go home. I don't know what will happen if they lose though.

EDIT: This movement needs to be broadened to appeal not just to unionized state employees, but to the predominantly non-unionized working class at large.

18th February 2011, 04:12

EDIT: This movement needs to be broadened to appeal not just to unionized state employees, but to the predominantly non-unionized working class at large.

This movement is only a few weeks old and has really only gained momentum in the past week or so. I think that if it gets as ugly as I am expecting we are going to see a lot of spontaneous action on the part of non-union workers.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 04:31

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/02/406241.shtml

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2011/2/17/call-act-support-wisconsin-workers-and-students

I need more info about this for pdx related events- thanks.

18th February 2011, 05:14

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-557412

This video was posted on CNN. It is of the walkout held at UW-Milwaukee. Hundreds, if not thousands, of students and teachers walked out of class and met in Spaights Plaza to show solidarity for everyone at the capitol and workers across the state today.

Red Commissar

18th February 2011, 05:20

Regardless of how it turns out, it's really nice to see people standing up for their rights. Especially considering the anti-Union sentiment that pervades many places in the United States. More power to these people- this is what "grassroots" and the "Real America" looks like, not Tea Party nonsense.

Also, Democrats leaving the legislature? Huh, reminds me of when over here in Texas some Dems (termed the "Texas Eleven) fled to New Mexico and stayed there for 46 days to prevent the passage of a redistricting bill back in 2003. Guess here's another example.

18th February 2011, 05:24

Some more from UW Mil

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182772_1848160330673_1440646732_32080198_6512614_n .jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5453758789_be88a10c26_z.jpg

More at this photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keegstra/sets/72157625950562607/with/5453759369/).

914wGhJvqAM

vxW3whe2sdg

Apparently it was a couple thousand people that walked out and gathered, and there was also a teach in or something. For this university that's unheard of since the 60's.

Rosa Lichtenstein

18th February 2011, 13:50

Good report, video and analysis, connecting this with the protests in the Middle East and N Africa, here:

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2011/02/class-struggle-in-america.html

Bad Grrrl Agro

18th February 2011, 15:31

I saw a friend of mine on the Ed Show last night as Ed Schultz was in Madison. I've gone the last two days in Madison but have had to return to Milwaukee at night. I plan on going to Madison tomorrow.

chimx

18th February 2011, 15:50

more bag pipes please:

nc4TXdPxUcE
qdlSg4vXGpY

Rosa Lichtenstein

18th February 2011, 17:22

Real News report here:

FwUWVv-0gWw

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=6291

ckaihatsu

18th February 2011, 17:49

[anticapdiscuss] Fwd: update from Madison, just now

from his facebook page...

Brief on the Battle for Wisconsin
by Andrew Sernatinger on Friday, February 18, 2011 at 8:44am

There are a few things I want to say real quick before heading back
out this morning. First, I think we're all shocked at what's happening
here. There's obviously been a build-up to this point, a few test
battles in union-busting public sector workers and of course the
(Democratic) legislature stalling out and then rejecting state
contracts, but the pace at which things have proceeded this week is
mindblowing. Walker introduced the bill on Friday with intent to get
it passed Wednesday, which pissed people off even more than the
contents of the bill already had.

Second, protests have definitely gone above and beyond what union
leadership had planned. Monday's action was called by the graduate
student union (TAA) to deliver valentines to the governor, "I love my
university, don't break my heart", followed by a strict lobbying plan.
Then the day kind of fizzled. Tuesday was intended to be the same but
bigger, but things blew up when firefighters showed up despite being
exempt from the cuts and high school students walked out of class as
well. Then there was a community forum that encouraged militancy (
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/grassroots/article_b8243b38-398f-11e0-a7bd-001cc4c03286.html
), and as rallies kept the capitol packed throughout the night,
students and workers somewhat spontaneously decided to sleep in at the
capitol and keep public testimonies going all night long. Some local
unions were initially against it because they want to appear as good
partners to make things work, but have since embraced it and then
called for another sleep-in the following night. Madison Teachers soft
struck by sicking-out on Wednesday, though not an official union
action, and it forced school closures in the city; shortly after WEAC
(NEA affiliate for Wisconsin teachers) announced Wisconsin teachers
would not show up to work Thursday and Friday to be part of
demonstrations.

The union bureaucracy has been lagging behind workers here. The number
of handmade signs are roughly equal to mass produced placards, with
all kinds of witty takes on pop culture and Wisconsin traditions, but
the actions workers are taking are definitely directing how things are
shaping up here. The official program of speakers were the same two
days in a row--which I think says that unions were expecting a
different crowd of people to come for lobbying either day. In their
meeting this morning, the AFL-CIO were prepared for a loss, but the
mood of workers here is increasingly confident as private sector
unions and skilled trades have stuck it out for the last few days. Now
it seems like unions are ready to invest in this fight; presidents of
the internationals of the NEA and AFSCME were in town today, and its
rumored that Trumpka and Jesse Jackson will be here today.

The mood is increasingly confident and the sense of solidarity here is
unlike anything I've ever experienced. Madison feels radically
different and working class issues have hegemony for the moment--a few
examples: two plumbers in the bathroom talking to each other, "This
isn't about parties, its about the working class,"; walking downtown
people all over are watching tv reports in the streets and discussing
what this means for working people while cars honk approvingly at
AFSCME members crossing the walk. Firefighters in uniform led
demonstrators by bagpipe to a municipal building to get support for a
motion to ratify municipal contracts now should the bill pass; they
were cheered the whole way through. At the capitol tonight, workers
chanted "We are Wisconsin!" and "Union!", and to me they're speaking
about the kind of unionism represented by the solidarity in the room,
not just collective bargaining. Signs are everywhere in support of the
public unions, and businesses that want solicitation have all catered
to workers in one way or another. Even emails from liberal-progressive
groups I get daily are taking a very different turn, coming out
strongly for workers and looking for ways to empower the unions. WORT,
the community station, has been covering the bill and the protests
around the clock, airing testimonies of workers and most all of their
music is labor or struggle themed.

Lastly, things are getting more militant day by day. Monday was
sleepier, Tuesday was people finding each other and feeling it out,
bolstered by students and firefighters, Wednesday more support (now
from cops, too!) and experimentation and today chants are turning to
calls for Walker's removal, direct action and no compromises ("Kill
the bill!"). Since legislators have fled the state and broken quorum,
there is a little more wiggle room to plan something and we're hoping
to build confidence to keep things going and encourage strikes or
other job actions if the bill makes it through--my sense is that
workers are livid and they want this thing dead, period. Wednesday
night there was an exchange outside the finance committee where
someone came out to silence the chanting, "Be quiet so we can amend
this thing for you," which was countered with, "We don't want an
amendment, kill the bill!"

So that's the gist of it. Who knows if we've hit the peak or if
tonight's sleep-in will have more networking among unionists, students
and other workers that will lead to more militancy.

From Madison in struggle,

Andrew

--
please always reply to: [email protected]

Red Bayonet

18th February 2011, 17:52

Slash budgets!
Fire politicians!

ckaihatsu

18th February 2011, 18:07

Support for Wisconsin Workers

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/ctu/petition.html

To: Wisconsin unions

Dear Union workers in Wisconsin,

We fully support and commend the actions you are taking in opposition to the draconian, anti-union legislation Governor Walker is trying to implement. We know that "an injury to one is an injury to all" and if these attacks on public workers' rights are successful, they will spread to other states. Similarly, if your fight back against these attacks is successful, that too will spread. Your future is our future.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

The Support for Wisconsin Workers Petition to Wisconsin unions was created by Chicago Teachers Union and written by Carol Caref ([email protected]). This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

ckaihatsu

18th February 2011, 18:12

Labor Solidarity Actions -Friday and Saturday!

Susan Hurley, Chicago Jobs with Justice <[email protected]>

Brothers and Sisters-

There will be a solidarity action TOMORROW with workers in Madison, Wisconsin who are occupying the Capitol Building to stop the wholesale destruction of their collective bargaining rights! Be there and join the movement!

Friday February 18th

5:00 PM

Daley Plaza

Downtown Chicago

SATURDAY

Labor unions and the AFL-CIO are going to be protesting the week of February 14 outside Mexican consulates across the world in protest of the repression aimed at Mexican workers and their unions.

The Steelworkers are calling the Chicago protest:

Saturday, February 19

10:30 a.m.

Mexican Consulate in Chicago

204 S. Ashland

Chicago, IL 60607

Note: the consulate will not be open to the public at that time

There are additional materials and information at the website of one of the international labor federations that is coordinating these actions around the world:

http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=24820&l=2

You can also direct additional questions to Sal Aguilar at: [email protected]

---

[anticapdiscuss] Fwd: Madison Labor Activists Strategize for 'Class War'; demo Chicago

Heartfelt, spirited meeting Tuesday night in Madison reported well here. 3 hours of open mic with unemployed, overworked and 'ordinary' people speaking from the floor inclduing high school students who'd just come from a walkout and who called for solidarity with immigrant workers who are part of the same working class. Big applause and cheers. A good taste of a great evening ending with a panel of veterans and new faces,

I went up for 24 hours Tues-Wed and saw great spirit and determination- mostly young faces, lots of private sector union and even non-union workers, some small business folks, grad sudents, 100s of firefighters and even a few cops with signs 'cops 4 unions'!.

Let's turn out for the solidarity demos this weekend/go up to Madison. Chicago: 5 PM Friday, Daley Plaza, Washington & Clark

fyi. Earl

Grass Roots: Labor Activists Strategize for 'Class War' Ignited by Walker Budget Bill

Click on the link or Copy and Paste the address into your internet browser window.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/grassroots/article_b8243b38-398f-11e0-a7bd-001cc4c03286.html

What's happening now in Wisconsin, with thousands of workers flooding the Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker's move to snuff the collective bargaining power of public employees, is much more than backlash against a union-busting maneuver, labor activists and their supporters said Tuesday evening at a forum at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Madison.

It is, they insist, the first counter-strike in a class war being waged against workers.

The urgency for reform of an economic system that enriches the few from the labor of the many was a recurring theme as some 100 workers and friends gathered to pledge mutual support and strategize on how to build on the momentum loosed at the historic Capitol rally earlier in the day that drew more than 10,000 demonstrators.

Their weapons?

Protests, sit-ins, filibusters, work stoppages, boycotts of businesses that support Walker's legislation or that funded his candidacy. Civil disobedience. And most potent of all: Solidarity!

"What's happening now is political theater — let's keep it going as long as possible," said Scott Erlenborn, a Baptist pastor.

Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate report that they have the votes to pass the governor's Budget Repair Bill, which he says is aimed at a $137 million deficit in the current fiscal year. A vote could take place as early as Thursday.

Several speakers at the Orpheum Tuesday conceded that the GOP majority has the votes to pass the bill, including Lester Pines, a Madison attorney who has represented many public workers.

"There's only one way to stop them, and I don't think that's going to happen: take over the Assembly and the Senate and don't let them come in," he said.

Even if the legislation passes, that doesn't mean the end to collective bargaining, Pines said. Workers' power to negotiate comes not from any state law recognizing them, he said. It is seized.

"The power comes from people coming together and organizing and telling employers they want to bargain."

Although touted as a budget fix, the removal of collective bargaining rights from most public workers on everything but salary, as Walker proposes, would have no impact on the deficit, Kathy Wilkes, a retired writer and editor, said in an interview. "He's demonizing workers as the cause of the economic collapse — that we know came from Wall Street and the shipping of jobs overseas — instead of talking about the corporate elite and their gargantuan salaries. This is a class war."

State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, told the crowd Tuesday that conservatives are "trying to shove this down our throats, and this is where we draw a line in the sand."

The role of social media in spreading the word about worker actions was cited by several speakers, as were websites with information backing up their arguments about the catastrophic impact of destroying public worker unions on the state's economy. University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Scot McCollough spoke of sending Walker copies of all the assignments produced for UW classes to give him an idea of how much work goes on there. "They are backing people into corners here," he said. "We cannot roll over. We will never give up."

Madison ironworker Anthony Anastasi, a private sector union member, spoke to the struggle that in the last century won the rights that are now threatened for public employees. "People literally died for our rights," he said. "I want the public sector to know we have your back 110 percent."

The solidarity required to challenge the entire economic system will need to extend beyond public and private union members to the general public, activists said. Carmen Clark urged fellow union members to talk with friends and family about what the resistance to "the owning class" is about. "Many of them have unionism somewhere in their family closet," she said.

Labor activist Ron Blascoe declared that the time was right for a general strike -- a refusal to work by all public and private workers -- to pressure politicians to enact reforms. The call for such action will not come from union leadership, he predicted. "They will tell us it is too radical, but Walker's plan is too radical. This is no time to be cautious."

It's very important to enlist private sector workers, because it is their envy of the the pensions that public workers still enjoy that the right wing uses to mobilize antagonism against unions, said Earl Silbar, a Chicago labor activist. "Unless we organize inside and outside unions for a class fight, we are not going to get anywhere," he said.

The success of a grass-roots uprising in Egypt in toppling strongman Hosni Mubarak was a source of inspiration for many of those who brainstormed Tuesday in Madison about resistance to attacks on U.S. workers in several states.

It helped fire a passionate expression of solidarity by Bryan Pfeifer, an organizer of part-time faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit. "We are calling on people from throughout the Midwest to descend on Madison and make a stand. We did not create the economic crisis and we are not going to pay for it," he declared to cheers and applause.

"Fight like an Egyptian"

B0LSHEVIK

18th February 2011, 20:32

'In Wisconsin, teachers, prison guards, firefighters, students and others have been protesting against the Republican-led government's plan to curtail public employees' right to collective bargaining and have them pay more for healthcare and pensions.' -BBC

I dont know. Some of those ^ above 'electoral' groups are clearly conservative. I find it all ironic. Wisconsians 'sent a message' these past Nov. elections that they wanted a smaller government, voting for candidates riding the teabagger coat tails. They kicked out a few Dem incumbents (traditional protectors of unions, somewhat) in favor of bringing down 'big brother.' And then they realize that the guy was talking about HIS job!!! OH NO!! 'Thats not what we mean! We meant spending on other people (minorities)'!!!!!

It is very naive to say that people have awoken. And Walker did threaten armed force.

Os Cangaceiros

18th February 2011, 20:39

This situation is p. inspirational to me. Especially the unity between students at all grade levels and the workers. Hopefully it will signal a turn-around of sorts for the wave of rollbacks that have been threatened nationwide.

And Walker did threaten armed force.

He threatened to replace certain public employee positions with the Nat. Guard, not recreate the Pullman Strike.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 20:57

Solidarity actions being planned- today- future- nationwide.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 20:59

S.Artesian

18th February 2011, 21:06

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 21:10

What do you expect? All of sudden people wake up in the morning and go... "We need workers councils"?

Apparently this happens.

S.Artesian

18th February 2011, 21:38

Apparently this happens.

Not everyone on the same morning.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 21:47

Not everyone on the same morning.

Maybe two mornings.

S.Artesian

18th February 2011, 21:58

Maybe two mornings.

From your mouth to the class's ears.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 22:26

Alright, Wisconsin solidarity update from Oregon- nothing definite but dialogue nonetheless. Marches to be held Monday in Salem Oregon on the capitol steps for OEA public education rally with encouragement to wear red, bring pro-labor banners, signs and to stand in solidarity with Wisconsin Public Sector workers. http://www.oregoned.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dKKKYMDH&b=123024

**Update sort of- Rallies planned downtown Portland albeit for April 16th against anti labor legislation. The labor coalitions here seem to realize that this legislation will spread if not engaged.

ar734

18th February 2011, 22:37

What bothers me is the low media coverage of this event. When the tea-baggers rallied, it was on the news for months. And now workers are finally organizing against their oppressors cuts, and the media ignores it. Typical :mad:.

Well, isn't the media controlled by the capitalist ruling class? What do you expect? You should go to twitter, etc.

Rosa Lichtenstein

18th February 2011, 22:51

Can we have some of this in the UK -- please?:)

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 22:56

Can we have some of this in the UK -- please?:)

You should seriously organize a solidarity rally there for WI workers. Is this far fetched?

Os Cangaceiros

18th February 2011, 22:59

I wish that there would be some sort of solidarity action here in South Texas, even if it's just the usual lame ISO-organized function.

18th February 2011, 23:09

Btw just for some perspective, 3000 students and faculty members yesterday walked out and gathered in Spaights to support the workers. Total enrollment at us Milwaukee is 30,000. That's 10% of the entire student and faculty population in Spaights protesting.

At a commuter college.

That is unbelievable. Think of how many more supported the protest and either weren't able to make it to the demo or stayed home in protest.

They organized another walkout today. I will be in the Capitol all night but will report back with info on both today's uw mil walkout and what happens at the Capitol.

Ele'ill

18th February 2011, 23:11

I wish that there would be some sort of solidarity action here in South Texas, even if it's just the usual lame ISO-organized function.

Start making phone calls- the only reason it hasn't happened is because everybody is likely sitting around wishing someone would organize something for them. It doesn't happen like that though- even if you can't attend a rally you can still help organize it. You have my support for what that's worth to do everything you can to make noise about this.

Nolan

18th February 2011, 23:14

Can we have some of this in the UK -- please?:)

No. The UK is First World and only the Third World is revolutionary. British people are part of the labor aristocracy.

Oh wait...

black magick hustla

18th February 2011, 23:18

Hey guys, don't forget, protesting never helps anything and these workers should go home and draw up plans for worker's councils with their spare time (which they may have more of, if they're unable to fight against layoffs/hour reduction).

actually this is not activism, this is actually class struggle. different from 5 psl fuckheads picketing a building

18th February 2011, 23:31

Nolan I understand what you were trying to do but as chimx said earlier this does not constitute a general rise in class consciousness. Please don't fall into the trap of most leftist tabloids by overexaggerating the current situation.

Dimentio

18th February 2011, 23:40

The cavalry has arrived!

http://nation.foxnews.com/wisconsin-protests/2011/02/17/dnc-caught-organizing-wisconsin-protests

the last donut of the night

19th February 2011, 00:21

The cavalry has arrived!

http://nation.foxnews.com/wisconsin-protests/2011/02/17/dnc-caught-organizing-wisconsin-protests

i read the comments, just fucking hilarious. but for once i feel that it doesn't matter what the right-wing idiots say, because wisconsin workers are flexing their arms. these protests aren't liberal wet-dreams, they're part of class struggle. and that's what's amazing. it's not stupid ideologues, it's not reactionary assholes, it's workers deciding they don't want cuts anymore. maybe some day i'll have the privilege to eat cheese from the socialist republic of wisconsin

Os Cangaceiros

19th February 2011, 00:35

One of the comments says that there's going to be a "Tea Party counter rally" tomorrow. Should be interesting. :D

Ele'ill

19th February 2011, 00:40

One of the comments says that there's going to be a "Tea Party counter rally" tomorrow. Should be interesting. :D

oh ffs

Sentinel

19th February 2011, 01:05

This is an extremely interesting situation that indeed has the potential to change the political climate of the US. Who knows, if the situation escalates further we might soon have a subforum of Ongoing Struggles called The Situation in the United States of America..!

The times are changing comrades, we're moving into a new era.

Rosa Lichtenstein

19th February 2011, 01:41

Mari3L:

You should seriously organize a solidarity rally there for WI workers. Is this far fetched?

Well, back in 2003/4, I was part of my union's solidarity work for the UFCW strike in California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Food_and_Commercial_Workers), so I reckon we can do this, too!:)

Oh yes we can...:) :)

Rosa Lichtenstein

19th February 2011, 01:44

Nolan:

No. The UK is First World and only the Third World is revolutionary. British people are part of the labor aristocracy.

Oh wait...

Yes, I'm feeling very aristocratic today.

Somebody fetch me my croquet mallet...

Rosa Lichtenstein

19th February 2011, 01:55

Yet Humanity:

i read the comments, just fucking hilarious. but for once i feel that it doesn't matter what the right-wing idiots say, because wisconsin workers are flexing their arms. these protests aren't liberal wet-dreams, they're part of class struggle. and that's what's amazing. it's not stupid ideologues, it's not reactionary assholes, it's workers deciding they don't want cuts anymore. maybe some day i'll have the privilege to eat cheese from the socialist republic of wisconsin

And if this builds, just watch how quickly people's (particularly worker's) ideas change, like they did in Egypt after Tunisia, and are now shifting in Bahrain and Libya, etc.

You could see this happening before your eyes as BBC reporters, broadcasting live from Cairo, who normally are dismissive of UK workers on strike or of students demonstrating, became highly emotional and were caught up with the mood -- 'This is real democracy!' several of them shouted at the camera. [Even a Sky reporter yelled this, too!]

And, perhaps more significantly, it wasn't cut by the editors (not even by the Murdoch editors on Sky); the same clips were repeated many times.

With any luck, we'll see this happen in the USA -- if this gains momentum. And, if it does, that will feed back into Europe, too, since everyone has a relative in the USA.:)

Rosa Lichtenstein

19th February 2011, 02:14

For an unprecedented third day, Madison teacher sick out.

Y’know, in my youth, we use to sing about the final struggle. This is it. If we lose this battle, I will not see worker dignity in my lifetime. It will take generations to repair the damage that the Republicans want to commit upon the working class of Wisconsin.

I have no illusions, and neither does my co-op. This is about disenfranchising workers. This is about taking away our rights and our dignity.

Today, at the Capitol, Game Wardens were brought in for security. They donned banners and joined in the chants. It is unconfirmed, but it appears that the Highway Patrol refused to seek out the Democratic Senators who fled the state. The Governor apparently tried to set the National Guard on them to no avail.

http://www.cooperativeconsult.com/blog/?m=20110217

Imposter Marxist

19th February 2011, 02:17

I'll be going to Madison for a few days, i'll be sure to get some pictures and reports.

Bad Grrrl Agro

19th February 2011, 02:51

I'll be going to Madison for a few days, i'll be sure to get some pictures and reports.
I'll be heading back to Madison again tomorrow morning.

Klaatu

19th February 2011, 02:54

I don't know, but could it be that the revolution is finally starting?

Burn A Flag

19th February 2011, 02:56

Shit is heating up everywhere. First Tunisia, then Egypt, now Bahrain, Iran, Libya, Jordan, and Even a bit in the USA. It's at least to see people stand up for themselves even if we don't get any socialist republics out of it.

19th February 2011, 04:03

At the Capitol building now. Signs everywhere! They're taped up all over the walls of the entire building. They cover the walls. They have paper and crayons for people to make their own and tape them up. It's pretty crowded for being 10 at night and there's chanting and drums in the rotunda. The mood is extremely relaxed and positive.

Also there's free pizza. Apparently people from across the united states are calling pizza places in Madison and paying to have them deliver pizzas here to feed the demonstrators/occupiers.

I'll probably be here all night and tomorrow. I'm expecting the mood to get extremely heated and clashes between the conflicting protests and the police. Tomorrow is going to be big.

DaringMehring

19th February 2011, 04:25

My local AFL-CIO here in CA organized a solidarity rally today, which I attended.

We're with you Wisconsin!

Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and the whole rest of the country's eyes are you. All support to you in your fight against the right-wing!

Bright Banana Beard

19th February 2011, 04:53

Can somone give us list of foods/ drinks delivery? so our comrades won't get starve at all.

NoOneIsIllegal

19th February 2011, 04:58

Wish I had the means to go. I know a few guys who did. He posted some pictures on FB, so huzzah:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180057_1775820045529_1540170605_31782508_4605142_n .jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183378_1776101812573_1540170605_31782830_1902880_n .jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183936_1776106932701_1540170605_31782841_8014720_n .jpg

Metacomet

19th February 2011, 05:00

One of the comments says that there's going to be a "Tea Party counter rally" tomorrow. Should be interesting. :D

What the hell do the tea-tards have to protest? They don't like regular people?

NoOneIsIllegal

19th February 2011, 05:08

If they're supportive of the anti-union legislation, they haven't worked a day of their life.

General Lud

19th February 2011, 06:52

I lived in Madison for 25 years before coming to Korea. I actually worked in the school district, and looking through many of the photos and videos of the protests, I've seen my fellow coworkers and friends. It's amazing.

I've organized a facebook group of other expats here in Korea to...order pizza of course.

solidarity.

the last donut of the night

19th February 2011, 07:13

If they're supportive of the anti-union legislation, they haven't worked a day of their life.

but being a ceo's son is a really tough job :(

ckaihatsu

19th February 2011, 08:09

There is a vast social gulf between the instinctive and heartfelt opposition to the cuts on the part of rank-and-file workers, and the posturing and demagogy by the union officials, who support the cuts so long as their own role and income from dues checkoff, and the salaries and the perks of the privileged bureaucracy, are maintained.

Thus Marty Beil, head of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, said yesterday: “We are prepared to implement the financial concessions proposed to help bring our state's budget into balance, but … we will not—I repeat we will not—be denied our rights to collectively bargain.” This only begs the question, however: what is there to bargain over if one starts by agreeing to all the concessions?

http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/pers-f19.shtml

the last donut of the night

19th February 2011, 08:10

lol living in brazil i just remembered it's winter there. i don't know how cold wisconsin winters are, but i'd reckon they're pretty damn cold. the fact that people are braving it just to stand up for their rights is pretty inspiring

the last donut of the night

19th February 2011, 08:29

https://s-hphotos-ash4.fbcdn.net/184156_10150401525335621_700645620_17383720_664047 9_n.jpg

the last donut of the night

19th February 2011, 08:42

mM1aLJ58EUY

Worker interviewed: "This is about class struggle."

Sentinel

19th February 2011, 09:24

From the website of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI):

USA

Mass protests and strikes in Wisconsin

www.socialistworld.net , 18/02/2011
website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI
For an All-Out Mobilization. To stop Walker in his tracks!
Socialist Alternative (Supporters of the CWI in the USA)
http://www.socialistworld.net/img/20110218Grafik262409020470185143.jpg
For an All-Out Mobilization
to stop Walker in his tracks!
Build up to a one-day public sector strike if necessary
Socialist Alternative members (supporters of the CWI in the USA) distributed this leaflet out at the mass demonstrations, walkouts and strikes held on February 17 in both Madison, the state capital, as Wisconsin state legislators debated Republican State Governor Walker’s plan to cut state workers’ wages by between 8 to 20 percent and attack trade union rights. Walker’s plan, announced on February 11, has provoked a wave of protest throughout Wisconsin and daily strikes and demos. Last Tuesday, February 15, up to 15,000 demonstrated in Madison, the next day 20,000 teachers and students marched in the city chanting “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” Sizable protests in a state with a population of less than six million. Then, on February 17 workers were joined by mass walkouts of school students as the police estimated 30,000 joined the protest.
The Republican plans include:
limiting collective bargaining to wages which would be capped at the inflation rate
prohibit employers from collecting union dues
require yearly votes on certification (i.e. recognition) of all local unions
deny all University of Wisconsin employees bargaining rights on working conditions and benefits

http://www.socialistworld.net/img/article/2011-02-18Grafik7241604177193648582.jpg
This is an outrage! Governor Walker’s plan to strip state workers of collective bargaining rights is nothing short of an attempt to effectively break the public sector unions.
Working people and their unions are not the cause of the economic crisis and fiscal woes of the state.
The bankers, Wall Street speculators and corporate politicians are to blame, so stop scapegoating unions. Make the super-rich pay for their own crisis!
The attack is not just on unionized state workers. It is an attack on all working people and youth. If they can beat back the state workers, it’s open season on all workers jobs, wages, benefits, future pensions and on public services.
If today’s demonstration is not enough to stop Governor Walker, it should be the launching pad for an all-out mobilization which stops at nothing. We must take enormous inspiration from the heroic and determined struggle of the Tunisian and Egyptian people who would not give up until their voices were heard.
Preparations must begin for a mobilization which will stop business as usual. This means being prepared for a one-day public sector strike if necessary. The public sector unions should issue a call to all working people to join a mass demonstration on that day and for mass student walkouts to shut down their schools.
Even if strike action is not legal for all state workers we must remember that the unions were built in the first place by struggles which often defied anti-union laws. The right to strike must be defended and extended. If we’re not prepare to take a stand now when will we especially once the power of unions has been stripped away?
The stakes are extremely high. If this anti-union legislation passes it will embolden those seeking to attack unions elsewhere, but if it is defeated it will give confidence to workers across country to stand up. That is why a national call to mobilize the labor movement must be made to pour as much union resources as possible into this central battle for the future of the union movement.
Wisconsin has become in the center stage in what is a full-scale attack on the public sector all across the country. Other state governments are also targeting not only wages and benefits but collective bargaining rights as well. This is the naked agenda of the ruling class and their corporate servants in office. The capitalist system is in deep crisis, and they want to solve it on our backs by steamrolling over all obstacles including unions.

http://www.socialistworld.net/img/article/2011-02-18Grafik8956972990565702027.jpg
It is up to us to stop these attacks. We can have no faith in the Democratic Party. Why haven’t they stood up to the lies of the Tea Party and Right-wing Republicans? Why did they make the bipartisan agreement for tax cuts for super-wealthy? Why are teachers unions in the cross-hairs of Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan? What happened to EFCA? The Democrats with all their nice rhetoric are no friend of working people.
It’s time that we build a political alternative to the two parties of big business. Campaigns should be launched across the country to stop the budget cuts and defend jobs, services and workers’ rights. Out of these campaigns we could run our own independent candidates as the first step towards forming a new party that gives a real voice to workers and youth and fights for our interests.
The time is now to begin the fightback. The Egyptian workers have shown is it possible to stand up to injustice everywhere. If you agree with the ideas in this leaflet please contacts us and we can discuss how to organize a united struggle to fight for our rights and our future.

Link (http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4856)

Rosa Lichtenstein

19th February 2011, 10:19

Following on from what I posted earlier, here's another small example of how ideas change in struggle:

‘Attitudes have changed during even this short time.

All women whatever their age complain about the high level of harassment they suffer.

This has been massively reduced during the revolution’

Manar, Egyptian doctor

------------------------------------------

And they are already making the obvious connections:

‘America helps Israel. Now Egypt must help the Palestinians, they are our brothers’

Shehab, Egyptian engineer

‘Israel is afraid of us. The Palestinians are weak if left on their own. They need us and we can’t forget them.

Israel has America. The Palestinians should now have Egypt’

Ahmed, Egyptian student

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=23940

Rocky Rococo

19th February 2011, 20:20

https://s-hphotos-ash4.fbcdn.net/184156_10150401525335621_700645620_17383720_664047 9_n.jpg

Hey! That looks like workers of the world uniting!

Rusty Shackleford

19th February 2011, 20:49

PSL Twitter Livefeed (http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/index.html)

NewPartyTendency

19th February 2011, 21:00

Dimentio

19th February 2011, 22:54

i thought this was Wisconsin can't support state-capitalist gov corps, because the feds have no money to spend on anything oweing bills. When state-capitalist gov corps aren't funded then socialist Wisconsinites don't get a paycheck. :blink: It's like USSR in 1989. They're in Afganistan, the war whipped out the state fed treasuries and fed workers don't get anything and nobody in Russia can give them anything

Lets wait until the private sector gets on its feet and then gov corps employees can get thier job back when there is money floating in the treasuries again. :(

Not now. Capitalism had entered into almost permanent decline. The future "booms" will rather be "non-recessions" than booms, and they will be briefer and briefer.

Unless they start to exploit Mars and the Asteroid belt for new and valuable minerals, which hardly is likely, the system will come tumbling down with the environment in 2070.

Nolan

20th February 2011, 00:07

Not now. Capitalism had entered into almost permanent decline. The future "booms" will rather be "non-recessions" than booms, and they will be briefer and briefer.

Why is that?

Red Commissar

20th February 2011, 01:04

Palin made a statement trying to appeal to her "union brothers and sisters" to not listen to their union bosses and work with the Governor. True to her pseudo-populist nature there is not a mention of wall street or corporate bosses, but continued railing against union bosses trying to turn it against union bureaucrats. Thankfully it doesn't seem this moron had much of an impact there.

Rocky Rococo

20th February 2011, 01:22

Why is that?

Why? Because the long-term tendency of the rate of return on investment has kicked in fully in the USA. That's why "American" capital sees fit to do most of its new job-creating investment overseas. That's why such new jobs as capitalism does produce in the US pay less and offer fewer benefits and protections than the ones they replaced. That's why top capital in the US is actively engaged in the looting of all the loose assets left in the US instead of reinvestment, because the owners of capital only have one demand, "more!" and the reality is that the rate of return on investment in the US cannot increase without the increased exploitation of the working class and the ruination of the petty bourgeoisie. That's why.

MarxistMan

20th February 2011, 01:28

You know politics is like weight-loss, if you don't suffer and get into a strict diet you won't lose weight. What i mean is that american families think that the country will change while they are at home in air-conditioned or heat conditioned rooms, away from danger and pain, without any book-reading, without any studying of any thing. Thats why people still vote for The Democrat Party and The Republican Party because most people in America are philosophical-zombies, prorgrammed robots, because most americans dont have the will-power to break out of that zombified mind-controlled, scared mentality. And its only thru self book-reading, thru knowledge that people can break out of that viscious circle.

Damn i really dont know how to save USA. Maybe we need a system without elections, and let a group of philosophers and scientists decide. because americans are not informed enough to decide the destiny of the country.

I dont wanna be pessimist, but you will see that the dumb US voters will vote Republican Party back into power in 2012.

We are doomed and US citizens will never vote for socialist parties and will never break out of their stupidity and TV-slavery

.

Good place to start.

Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean you don't have real enemies.

I don't think the ruling class plots things that well.

Things can always get worse, and the bourgeoisie will see to it.

Like Bush jr. was worse than Reagan. Like Palin will make Bush jr. seem like a statesman.

Capitalism requires certain politics at certain time. In the US that translates as the bourgeoisie electing Democrats when they want to try and get out of a recession. And electing Republicans when they're going into one so they can knock the snot out of the workers.

A choice of cancer or polio, as the Rolling Stones once sang.

the last donut of the night

20th February 2011, 01:43

there's rumors circulating on twitter that tom morello's gonna play to the crowds in madison in support of their protests against the cuts

the last donut of the night

20th February 2011, 01:45

also: http://i.imgur.com/66hdb.jpg

Os Cangaceiros

20th February 2011, 01:54

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/18/ohios-turn-to-revolt-thousands-flood-statehouse-over-anti-union-bill/

It's contagious! :scared:

Rosa Lichtenstein

20th February 2011, 03:08

Marxist Man:

You know politics is like weight-loss, if you don't suffer and get into a strict diet you won't lose weight. What i mean is that american families think that the country will change while they are at home in air-conditioned or heat conditioned rooms, away from danger and pain, without any book-reading, without any studying of any thing. Thats why people still vote for The Democrat Party and The Republican Party because most people in America are philosophical-zombies, prorgrammed robots, because most americans dont have the will-power to break out of that zombified mind-controlled, scared mentality. And its only thru self book-reading, thru knowledge that people can break out of that viscious circle.

I do not know why you don't change your name to 'Idealist Cynic', since no Marxist would argue 1) with such contempt for ordinary workers, and 2) in such an idealist way.

In fact, as we have seen in N Africa and the Middle East, and are already seeing in Wisconsin, workers change their ideas when they enter into struggle, not by reading books.

What was it that Marx said? Oh yes: "Workers of the world get a library card, you have nothing to lose but your overdue fines..."

L.A.P.

20th February 2011, 03:27

Could it be? Is the United States finally standing up to capitalism? It's about fucking time, I just wish I lived in a bigger city where I could join a protests or two.

apawllo

20th February 2011, 03:32

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/18/ohios-turn-to-revolt-thousands-flood-statehouse-over-anti-union-bill/

It's contagious! :scared:

There have been protests going on here for several days, and steadily growing, but they're definitely not as large as those in WI. From what I gather, the main reason for this is that when the bill in Wisconsin was proposed, the Governor there attempted to immediately force it through, while the legislative process here is a bit different so that couldn't be done. There were discussions and so on this past week instead; more or less each side voiced its opinion and the crowds grew each day, then the Tea Party showed up as well. If it comes to a vote, I'm guessing there will be walkouts and so on, but hopefully it doesn't come to that.

At any rate, I've heard some teachers saying they want a nationwide general strike, and if there has been a time for one in recent history, it would be now. The same bill is currently in Tennessee's congress, there's union busting going on in Indiana (and protests at the state house), a lot of people in New Jersey are pissed at their governor for safety net cuts, many Californians are pissed about cuts. There's a lot of potential right now...

TwoSevensClash

20th February 2011, 03:48

According to the AP unions protesters out numbered the teabaggers counter protest by 35-to-1:laugh:

DragonQuestWes

20th February 2011, 06:07

Holy fuck he's going to use the national guard against protesters just for protesting.

Sounds comparable to Mubarak alright.

From what I've heard, this Scott Walker guy has a deep hatred for protesters that aren't even from the state of Wisconsin.

bcbm

20th February 2011, 07:45

Could it be? Is the United States finally standing up to capitalism?

i don't think its gone that far yet

Rosa Lichtenstein

20th February 2011, 08:08

xx1994xx:

Could it be? Is the United States finally standing up to capitalism? It's about fucking time,

Hold your horses there comrade, it's too early to start saying this. If it builds, then fine. But if you have too high expectations, you will only suffer proportionate demoralisation if it peters out, or fails.

bcbm

20th February 2011, 08:09

We’re watching the RSS feeds and news sites like we watched Al Jazeera during the Egyptian Uprising. We’re looking for a sign. Hoping that the rage we share cuts through our daily routine. We’re hoping that what’s transpiring in Wisconsin is an internal error in their system, and that it’s irreparable. We’re praying at our grandparents graves that they, who fought for dignity or who bowed shamefully, will give us all the strength and resolve to push ourselves beyond our limits of politeness. Wisconsin, we’re looking to you like we looked to Egypt, like we looked to all the places that have recently flared up. We want you to say it’s on. To say we don’t have to be afraid anymore, and we don’t have to take shit. We want to be forced to stop watching, take sides, and join up.

What we need from you:

Never go back to work. Never go back to school. Spread the occupation beyond the symbols of power. Occupy and block what counts. Attack symbols, occupy infrastructure. Extend the scale and scope of the struggle by attacking what links the governor’s position with the misery of daily life. Fight, with all means, and through fighting make connections with others you never knew.

Teachers, elaborate your teach-ins. Tell your story, encourage everyone you touch to say why collective struggle (not just bargaining) is a necessary part of our position in this world. Talk about your dying grandmother. Talk about your difficult addictions. Talk about history. This law is an attempt to conceal the realities of our daily lives and to liquidate those stories from the future. Reveal this, and make possible the education that was never allowed in school.

Care-workers, your strike is extremely significant when most waged-labor now includes elements of care administration. For this reason, your participation in the most undocile parts of the struggle is needed, not simply to share the skills of your vocation, but to interrupt the ways in which care is structured as a passive and neutral force.

Students and young workers, you set the tone for what it means for our generation to struggle. Don’t limit your abilities; don’t restrain your rage. Expose the policing and pacifying elements in the demonstrations by refusing to limit yourself. When the National Guard comes or if the counter-demonstrators attack, you will need improvised barricades. If those forces need to be pushed back, you will need to be the ones to throw the first rocks. If you occupy a position you will need the means to feed yourself. The large Grocery Store owners have already sided with the Governor, take what you need from them. Refuse all concessions, refuse dialogue with union managers, and bosses. Expose and undermine those elements publicly. Humiliate them when they try to speak, make them run when they try to pacify and limit the struggle. Make the prison guards and law-enforcement workers choose between siding with struggle or siding with government. There is no middle ground.

Anon and techies, solidarity is a weapon. As we’ve seen in recent revolts in North Africa and throughout the Nile, the use of information-technologies, social-networking and DDoS against the ruling party, against government infrastructure is a pivotal dynamic of contemporary struggles. Tweet hard, flashmob. Get behind a proxy, and let the us all know you got our backs.

The struggle must become dangerous to those in power. If the demonstrations are docile, they will never connect with those who have already been excluded from the world of unions and job security. The demonstrations must change their tone in order to resonate with those who live on shit-wages and tips, with those who are murdered by police, whose entire neighborhoods are already excluded from the bargaining table. The police, either in blue or in National Guard attire will be standing between you and all the possibilities that can emerge from a fierce and diverse struggle. One way or the other, they must be confronted, and defeated.

Struggles have a short period of time when they appear to be the door through which possibility enters. As soon as these possibilities are perceived, the police will attempt to neutralize them. We must act quickly and with precision in order to defeat the police and open up the struggle, to keep it going. This sense of urgency is the single order when we are racing with the police to occupy these zones of possibility. But if we can take positions and keep them open, a new time and a new rhythm takes hold and spreads almost as hastily as the operations of the police to conceal it. If you can achieve this, Wisconsin, you will set the precedent for the rest of us. The new rhythm will put to rest everything normal about our misery and exploitation. And it will be heard, reverberated, and mashed up by all the worlds that open to it.

We’re anticipating your song Wisconsin,

Some insatiable service-industry workers in the South

http://burntbookmobile.wordpress.com/

bcbm

20th February 2011, 08:26

as of 2am police have been ordered to take down all signs in the state capitol (basically every surface is covered in them at this point).

bcbm

20th February 2011, 09:03

apparently protesters in the capitol are helping the police in this task:bored:

Ele'ill

20th February 2011, 10:52

Fuck that

"Oh yeah, just kidding, we're yours"

Widerstand

20th February 2011, 11:03

Very inspiring, I hope this spreads to the rest of the US and western countries.

Why is that?

Peak Oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil). It may sound doomsdayish, but the German army expects Peak Oil was reached in 2010, or will be a few years after. They also expect the total collapse of all market-economical systems.

Nothing Human Is Alien

20th February 2011, 11:06

MADISON, Wis. – Sometimes they cursed each other, sometimes they shook hands, sometimes they walked away from each other in disgust.

None of it — not the ear-splitting chants, the pounding drums or the back-and-forth debate between 70,000 protesters — changed the minds of Wisconsin lawmakers dug into a stalemate over Republican efforts to scrap union rights for almost all public workers.

"The people who are not around the Capitol square are with us," said Rep. Robin Vos, a Republican from Rochester and co-chair of the Legislature's budget committee. "They may have a bunch around the square, but we've got the rest on our side."Read the rest - "Largest protest yet fails to sway lawmakers" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_budget_unions)

Dimentio

20th February 2011, 11:15

Why is that?

130% of the Earth's annual regeneration capacity is used. That means that it is hard to extend exploitation any further, and that increasing amounts of debilitating counter-effects will unfold.

the last donut of the night

20th February 2011, 11:44

According to the AP unions protesters out numbered the teabaggers counter protest by 35-to-1:laugh:

lol I want to see how the Tea Party types are gonna justify this, since according to their rhetoric, unions and leftism in general are "from above" ideologies, taking control not from the populace but from "secret communists" in the White House. Yet now the workers, the "real Americans" are outnumbering them at protests. Glenn Beck in the near future: "yeah, well, uhm, it's a lot of people, but THEY'VE ALL BEEN LIED TO BY THE LIBERAL MEDIA!!!!!111"

the last donut of the night

20th February 2011, 11:56

By the way, all the stuff I've posted here is from reddit, specifically the Wisconsin (http://www.reddit.com/r/wisconsin) and Madison (http://www.reddit.com/r/madisonwi)subreddits. I recommend everybody start going on them, along with Twitter, as they provide good real time information from the people there. Along with the protesters, restaurants and other places have been posting, offering free food and rest to the striking workers.

Interesting development: some teabaggers have posted threads on r/madison. Lots of people are commenting that now that they have met those types, they hate them. Very good things to hear.

Widerstand

20th February 2011, 14:29

Read the rest - "Largest protest yet fails to sway lawmakers" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_budget_unions)

The classical argument of the "silent majority"...

Dimentio

20th February 2011, 15:00

lol I want to see how the Tea Party types are gonna justify this, since according to their rhetoric, unions and leftism in general are "from above" ideologies, taking control not from the populace but from "secret communists" in the White House. Yet now the workers, the "real Americans" are outnumbering them at protests. Glenn Beck in the near future: "yeah, well, uhm, it's a lot of people, but THEY'VE ALL BEEN LIED TO BY THE LIBERAL MEDIA!!!!!111"

They claim that their followers are "busy working", implying that strikers are lazy.

Rusty Shackleford

20th February 2011, 17:25

"Bottom up, top down, and inside out"
"this is the bottom up part"
"this is a page out of van jones' play book"

thriller

20th February 2011, 22:43

I fucking love this shit! Been there for four days now. Truly inspiring. Proud to be a Wisconsinite.

RED DAVE

20th February 2011, 23:46

According to a buddy of mine on the scene, some kind of local leadership is emerging.

RED DAVE

the last donut of the night

21st February 2011, 00:05

According to a buddy of mine on the scene, some kind of local leadership is emerging.

RED DAVE

What kind of leadership?

Widerstand

21st February 2011, 00:13

What kind of leadership?

A Strong Stalinist Vanguard Committee, I hope. For the best of the workers.

syndicat

21st February 2011, 04:07

According to a buddy of mine on the scene, some kind of local leadership is emerging.

well, the SEIU corporate bureaucratic union fucks are sending in staff to try to control the situation. so your buddies have their work cut out for them. I know there've been meetings of various left labor activists there, including the Madison and Milwaukee IWW branches, to try to foment a general strike. The Repubs are taking a very hardline stance and are using various security forces to gradually gain control over the capitol. so there is going to be a necessity to raise the stakes, to deepen the struggle.

Rosa Lichtenstein

21st February 2011, 04:45

^^^I agree, but this presents grass roots activists with a golden opportuinity to expose the gap between the rhetoric these union bureaucrats spout and their deeds.

Plus, when the union machine gets involved that prompts/allows other less active layers to become involved, and thus shifted leftwards.

It also allows the machinery to be used to spread the action wider than the bureaucrats would otherwise want.

Sure, it's fraught with danger, but what isn't?

Witan

21st February 2011, 04:58

Holy crap this is insane. Workers and Protesters should make signs comparing this Governor to Mubarak.

Just another chapter in the history of the American labour movement. Bosses abuse their workers, workers strike, the bosses call out the authorities, the authorities kill a few workers. Wash, rinse, repeat.

21st February 2011, 05:12

well, the SEIU corporate bureaucratic union fucks are sending in staff to try to control the situation. so your buddies have their work cut out for them. I know there've been meetings of various left labor activists there, including the Madison and Milwaukee IWW branches, to try to foment a general strike. The Repubs are taking a very hardline stance and are using various security forces to gradually gain control over the capitol. so there is going to be a necessity to raise the stakes, to deepen the struggle.

This is all completely true. I really feel like that what has happened so far has been leading up to a crucial moment that will decide if this completely fizzles out or if it opens up a new era of struggle not only in Wisconsin but the rest of the country.

Nolan

21st February 2011, 05:14

Browser ad: Stand With Walker.

Klaatu

21st February 2011, 05:35

I would say that this is a great recruiting time for Socialists and Communists

These good folks need to know that we are on their side

Rocky Rococo

21st February 2011, 05:43

http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee457/rockyrococo/WI_SolidarityPNG-250x232.png

Red Commissar

21st February 2011, 05:44

Browser ad: Stand With Walker.

Speaking of that, I was wandering around and saw a restaurant with Faux News playing. They were playing with the camera in such a way when they were having shots between the union demonstrators and the small crowd of tea-bagger Walker supporters, but in such a way to make it look like the Walker supporters came out in full force.

21st February 2011, 05:51

BTW representation of the organized left was surprisingly small. Socialist Alternative and PSL had tables, but that was all I saw on Saturday. Someone told me the Sparts were there and maybe one other group, but certainly not a very noticeable left presence.

If I'm not mistaken ISO has a pretty large branch in Madison, I was really surprised not to see any of them around. Socialist groups weren't well represented at all, and weren't doing much outside tabling.

Though I did stand by the Socialist Alternative table for a bit and they got a ton of people to come up and I talked to many who were very receptive to what was being discussed.

Rocky Rococo

21st February 2011, 05:55

NoOneIsIllegal

21st February 2011, 06:09

21st February 2011, 06:11

From what I know, quite a few branches of IWW have also traveled across the midwest to be there, including Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc.

Ah, yes, I did see 5-10 wobblies.

NoOneIsIllegal

21st February 2011, 07:28

Most impressive. Our numbers make the bourgeoisie tremble! :lol: Anyway, I love anyone who's made the trip and have been supportive.

They seem to be trying to hit a lot of it up

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184023_1778728238232_1540170605_31789976_3908774_n .jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181739_1778626435687_1540170605_31789833_7747822_n .jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184993_1778129023252_1540170605_31789143_5032462_n .jpg
(At the Tea Party Rally? check the background sign...)

Ele'ill

21st February 2011, 10:41

Btw, there are going to be Wisconsin solidarity rallies all around the country this week. In at least some events it will probably be a very good opportunity to make local connections with class-conscious workers.

This is true, but there are a lot of places that need a push. Nobody here should be afraid to pick up the phone and start making phone calls or to sit down for an hour and send a bunch of emails. Do it now- This is an opportunity to make it happen- it's not going to make itself happen.

Rally in a nearby city that's just too far away? Yeah, too far away for you and like 300 other people. Make phone calls- facebook pages, use your contacts- be an autonomous organizing bomb. That's what this needs because when shit goes south we aren't going to have the luxury to start from scratch- we need to be ready to mobilize and we need those weeks of time and effort behind us.

Rosa Lichtenstein

21st February 2011, 12:53

Isn't this spreading into Ohio and other states with equally Neanderthal governors?

Ele'ill

21st February 2011, 12:58

Ohio's Bill 5 as mentioned here or in another thread somewhere

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/18/ohios-turn-to-revolt-thousands-flood-statehouse-over-anti-union-bill/

Rosa Lichtenstein

21st February 2011, 13:19

^^^Thanks, looks like there is:

http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=14067163

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-17/public-employee-union-protests-spread-from-wisconsin-to-ohio.html

And across the USA:

Over 20,000 angry union supporters gathered at the Wisconsin state capital expressing opposition to an anti-union bill and an end to Walker’s governorship. Now, pro-union protests have spread to other states proposing cutbacks.

Republican lawmakers are trying to secure quorum in Wisconsin to hold a vote on a measure to kill the collective bargaining rights of state union workers, however the Democratic law makers have refused to show up at the legislature and have fled the state to avoid being brought into the capital by state police.

The Republican controlled Senate dispatched the state troopers to find the Democrats, but they were unsuccessful. A group of them have opted to stay in a hotel just on the other side of the state line in Illinois.

Without quorum a vote cannot be held, effectively stalling the passage of the legislation.

Meanwhile, the State legislature in Tennessee has also proposed a bill that will dissolve the collective bargaining rights of the state’s teachers and proposed police layoffs in Hartford, Connecticut were met with hundreds of police marching the it streets, expressing their opposition. In Ohio crowds of hundreds have descended on the state capitol to protest legislation that would strip all state employees of their collective bargaining rights.

Opposition to cuts to workers and labor rights continue to be met with opposition, opposition which appears to be speeding across the country.

The Wisconsin protest is being called the largest set of protests the state has encountered in years.

Widely seen as the boldest anti-union bill in the nation, the law has been engineered to combat the $3.6 billion state budget shortfall.

If passed, the law would bring about a major political shift in Wisconsin. The state has been widely seen as progressive in the past, being the first state to pass comprehensive pro-union legislation in 1959.

Over 40 percent of the 2,600 unionized teachers and staff called in sick in Madison, Wisconsin, forcing the State’s second largest school district to cancel school for the day.

The state’s prisons are staffed by unionized guards. These guards would lose their bargaining rights under the new law. So far, the guards have not opted to protest or walk out. That may change.

Under the proposed law, unions could not force employees to pay dues, but could choose to represent state workers. However, they could not seek pay increases above the listed maximum in the Consumer Price Index without approval from a public referendum.

In exchange for the loss of their labor rights, the state government would promise not to engage in furloughs or layoffs. If the bill fails, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has threatened to lay-off 6,000 state workers.

Walker plans to move forward, insisting he has the necessary votes in the state legislature to pass the bill.

Support for the measure comes from the state’s Republicans who control the legislature. The state’s Democrats and union members adamantly oppose the proposed law. The Republicans claim they have the votes, despite public outcry, to pass the new law.

Activists nevertheless are pushing for a ‘citizen’s filibuster’ to prevent the passage of the bill by forcing discussion into unsociable hours.

While a number of other US states are considering bills which target labor rights, Wisconsin's is by far the most antagonistic anti-labor measure aimed at solving budgetary shortfalls.

David Vines, a protestor and a student at the University of Wisconsin argued the Republican controlled state government is trying to bust up unions and is creating a culture war to drive poor people away from the polls.

He explained the government was elected based on promises of jobs, but instead has opted to take on issues people see as less vital, such as voter ID rules and anti-union laws.

http://rt.com/usa/news/wisconsin-protest-anti-union-labor-rights/

bcbm

21st February 2011, 17:27

defendwisconsin.org being blocked on capitol's wi-fi network

thriller

21st February 2011, 17:37

defendwisconsin.org being blocked on capitol's wi-fi network

Let's report that shit!

Yup IWW, ISO, RCP and WSP, and some SPUSA is there.

The RCP kind of pissed me off on Saturday. They planted there box of Avakian lit in the middle of the street so that when the protesters were marching they had to walk by them and take there lit. ISO, IWW and WSP all had tables on the sidewalk that people could come up to and look at. Not in the middle of the street where people are marching in solidarity with the working class.

Because of the snow storm, my class was canceled, so I'm off to the Capitol again. Will post some pictures soon.

*Side note, I'd love to see revolutionary, communist, anarchist whatever photos from the rally if anyone has them, the IWW ones were excellent*

HEAD ICE

21st February 2011, 17:49

Here is a report from a comrade in the IWG who lives in Wisconsin and has been on the frontlines of this since the beginning:

It's been crazy here. The crowds at the protests have grown to 70,000 people now. It is true...60-70,000 people. No more than a handful of teaparty people bused in from Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Trumka, Jackson, the Archbishop of Milwaukee, Ed Schultz have all come in to get everyone focused on supporting the democrats, accepting the concessions and defending collective bargaining as the only demand to support. The state workers unions have not endorsed joining the teachers sick-out which has shut schools down across the state. Members of AFSCME Locals 171, and 2412 are meeting sunday to discuss joining the sick-out from what I understand. The unions have come out saying they will support all the concessions if they get to keep collective bargaining. The set-up is in the works whereby the governor gets the concessions he wants, but gives in on collective bargaining and the unions and the dems declare a great victory has been one and they all go home. However, the governor will not ideologically budge from his hard-nosed hyper-conservatism and the fight is set to go into next week with Monday being a furlough day so all state workers will be laid off from work that day and the crowds will swell again. A handful of counter-protesters came milling about like they were trying to provoke people.

S.Artesian

21st February 2011, 18:23

Rocky Rococo

21st February 2011, 18:30

The trick now is to organize, demand, call for open meetings of workers, students, unemployed, pensioners-- break through the union fragmentation, creating collective, class bodies. Doesn't mean these bodies will automatically be "revolutionary" or even adopt "radical" proposals, but making these bodies open to all is the only possible way to prevent the movement from being segmented, isolated, fractured internally.

Strategically you're entirely correct. Operationally, I don't see a chance in hell of that happening, the Dems and the AFL bosses will play their roles as operative arms of hegemony at this point, and there is no organized mechanism to escape or even challenge that recouping.

Imposter Marxist

21st February 2011, 18:34

Hello Comrades, I've been in Madison for a while now, me and my party came out from different parts of the US. I came from Detroit with a few Comrades, and I just want to give you a brief run down of what i've seen. So far the most prominent groups ive noticed have been the ISO, the WWP (That may just because Im always doing stuff with them, but our paper is in a lot of hands being read, especially before and after the big rallies.), FRSO-FB, and SocialistAlternative. I havent really seen any PSL, RCP, or other groups. I saw one man with a PLP paper handing them out, but he appeared to be alone. The student and labor work is great, the students are organizing to make sure that sufficent people stay in the capital so that the pigs can't remove us or our posters and signs, of which there are many. Last night we had about 200-300 students and workers sleep inside the building. I walked around at 1 Am and guess who I ran into? Tom Morello! He came out to show support and play a free show today. Thats just a quick overview, Im staying another night, any comrades who want to come up should do it, ill be writing a detailed post when I get home and im not on a laptop.

bcbm

21st February 2011, 18:42

we should have a revleft meet up lol

Rusty Shackleford

21st February 2011, 18:44

i wish i was back in wisconsin :( i miss it there.

our people shall be free!

S.Artesian

21st February 2011, 18:47

Strategically you're entirely correct. Operationally, I don't see a chance in hell of that happening, the Dems and the AFL bosses will play their roles as operative arms of hegemony at this point, and there is no organized mechanism to escape or even challenge that recouping.

Plant the seed, comrade, plant the seed. In 1980 a similar effort was made in Boston in response to announced cutbacks and it had, initially, an electrifying impact. Open meetings were held with workers and residents making plans for demonstrations and propaganda across union boundaries and without the union bureaucrats. Scared the hell out the bureaucrats.

Fight and lose, fight and lose, fight and lose, until you fight and win.

S.Artesian

21st February 2011, 18:52

we should have a revleft meet up lol

That's not far off the mark. All the overt, explicit socialist groups there, and no single member of any of them has proposed a united front of groups, all of them sponsoring meetings open to all workers, pensioners, unemployed, students, supporters to self-organize a strategy?

WTF? No one wonder this country is so fucked up. There are probably 1000 different individual Trotskyists, council communists there, and nobody's advertising open, "come one, come all" meetings? Did they forget their Trotsky, about united fronts? Did they forget their history of councils-- that councils are the highest expression of a united front, like it or not, comrade council communists.

Fuck it, I'm packing a bag and heading to Madison. And I hate the cold.

Rusty Shackleford

21st February 2011, 18:52

http://action.seiu.org/page/s/solidarityaction

Solidarity actions this week supported by the SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

Events on Monday February 21, 2011 (All times local)

Indiana
Rally
Time: 9 A.M.
Location: Indiana State Capitol
Address: 302 W Washington St - Indianapolis, IN

Montana
Rally
Time: 2 P.M.
Location: Montana State Capitol
Address: 1301 East 6th Avenue - Helena, Montana

Nevada
Rally
Time: 12 P.M.
Location: Nevada State Capitol
Address: 101 North Carson Street - Carson City, NV 89701

North Carolina
Rally
Time: 12 P.M. Location:
Address: 1 East Edenton Street - Raleigh, NC 27601

Oregon
Rally
Time: 12 P.M.
Location: State Capitol
Address: 900 Court St. NE - Salem, OR 97301

Texas
Candlelight March and Vigil
Time: 6:45 P.M.
Location: Meet at TX AFL-CIO
Address: 1106 Lavaca St. - Austin, TX. 78701

Washington
Rally
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: State Capitol Rotunda
Address: 416 Sid Snyder Avenue SW - Olympia, WA 98504

Wisconsin
Rally
Time: All Day
Location: State Capitol
Address: 2 East Main Street - Madison, WI. 53702

Events on Tuesday February 22, 2011 (All times local)

Arkansas
Rally
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: State Capitol Building
Address: 425 W Capitol Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201

California
Vigil
Time: 5:30 P.M.
Location: State Capitol West Steps
Address: 1315 10th Street - Sacramento, CA 95814

California
Vigil
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Poncitlan Square
Address: 38315 9th Street East - Palmdale, CA. 93550

Colorado
Rally
Time: 12:00 P.M.
Location: Colorado State Capitol
Address: 200 East Colfax Avenue (West Steps) - Denver, CO. 80203

Iowa
Rally
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Iowa State Capitol
Address: 1007 East Grand Avenue - Des Moines, IA

Maryland
Rally
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Lawyers' Mall, Maryland State House
Address: 100 State Circle - Annapolis, MD. 21401

Massachusetts
Rally
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: State House
Address: 1 Ashburton Pl - Boston, MA 02108

Massachusetts
Rally
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: City Hall Steps
Address: 36 Court Street - Springfield, MA 01103

Minnesota
Rally
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Minnesota State Capitol
Address: 75 Constitution Ave - St. Paul, MN 55101

Ohio
Rally
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Capitol Building
Address: 77 S High - Columbus, OH. 43215

New Mexico
Rally
Time: 12:15 PM
Location: East Side of the State House
Address: 490 Old Santa Fe Trl # 219 - Santa Fe, NM 87501

Rhode Island
Rally
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Rhode Island State House
Address: 90 Smith St - Providence, RI 02903

Vermont
Rally
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Vermont State Capitol Building
Address: 115 State Street - Montpelier, VT. 05602

Wisconsin
Rally
Time: All Day
Location: State Capitol
Address: 2 East Main Street - Madison, WI. 53702

Events on Wednesday February 23, 2011 (All times local)

Connecticut
Rally
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: State Capitol Building, West Steps
Address: 210 Capitol Avenue - Hartford, CT. 06106

Georgia
Rally
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: State Capitol Building
Address: 206 Washington St - Atlanta, GA, 30334

Pennsylvania
Rally
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Lackawana Court House
Address: 200 Adams Avenue - Scranton, PA 18503

Events on Thursday February 24, 2011 (All times local)

Ohio
Protest against Governor Kasich
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Canton Civic Center
Address: 1101 Market Ave N. - Canton, Oh 44702

bcbm

21st February 2011, 18:55

That's not far off the mark. All the overt, explicit socialist groups there, and no single member of any of them has proposed a united front of groups, all of them sponsoring meetings open to all workers, pensioners, unemployed, students, supporters to self-organize a strategy?

WTF? No one wonder this country is so fucked up. There are probably 1000 different individual Trotskyists, council communists there, and nobody's advertising open, "come one, come all" meetings? Did they forget their Trotsky, about united fronts? Did they forget their history of councils-- that councils are the highest expression of a united front, like it or not, comrade council communists.

Fuck it, I'm packing a bag and heading to Madison. And I hate the cold.

don't know about other groups, some of us are trying to set up such a meeting and working on fliers to put out in the next day or so. would love to get others involved.

if any socialist party tries to hijack it we will cut you:closedeyes:

MagÃ³n

21st February 2011, 19:00

S.Artesian

21st February 2011, 19:25

Found a pretty interesting article on Mother Jones today, talking about one of the reasons we need Unions to help fight against these sort of things, and corporations as a whole.

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/02/why-we-need-unions

Except unions do neither-- the union leaderships hardly fight against these things. They whine, whimper, bluster maybe, but actually fight? Look at how the unions handled the meatpacking workers strikes in the 1980s.

And fighting against corporations as a whole? I don't know of any union except maybe the IWW, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers that ever fought against corporations as a whole, even when, especially when the workers fought against corporations as a whole.

MagÃ³n

21st February 2011, 19:42

Except unions do neither-- the union leaderships hardly fight against these things. They whine, whimper, bluster maybe, but actually fight? Look at how the unions handled the meatpacking workers strikes in the 1980s.

And fighting against corporations as a whole? I don't know of any union except maybe the IWW, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers that ever fought against corporations as a whole, even when, especially when the workers fought against corporations as a whole.

I never said they were fighting corporations, or things like what's happening in Wisconsin, but we need them as a support to keep up the pressure, and when people start to stand up against corporations, governments etc. (like Wisconsin), we need the unions to be on our side and to help get things rolling for the better.

bcbm

21st February 2011, 19:49

I never said they were fighting corporations, or things like what's happening in Wisconsin, but we need them as a support to keep up the pressure, and when people start to stand up against corporations, governments etc. (like Wisconsin), we need the unions to be on our side and to help get things rolling for the better.

they may be useful in getting the ball rolling but the leadership is already trying to work with the dems and accept most of the bill while keeping collective bargaining, ie protecting their jobs as union bosses. walker wants to use this to kill the unions outright and has admitted as such so basically the rank and file now needs to be moving against their unions as an obstacle.

HEAD ICE

21st February 2011, 20:39

Another update from the IWG comrade in Wisconsin. For context I asked if the SEIU has tried any attempts to hijack what is going on:

There were a few SEIU people present at the Saturday rally but they looked like members of an SEIU local, might've been workers from one of the insurance companies rather than thugs. The unions had marshals out wearing orange vests from the start along with rows of portable toilets. The Tea Party clowns have left finally. The protesters cleaned up the mess they left behind, along with cleaning up their own mess. I haven't seen much of them though. Very few cops monitoring the protests. The weather has dipped down and there is snow and freezing rain.

I'll probably be out of work again in two months time because I work for AFSCME, so I am going to start getting my shit together now and get applications out.

I have to head out tonight and march. The school sickout is continuing. The teachers and students are the backbone of this. Every single primary school student in the state will get $500 yearly cut. The teachers will be losing about twenty percent of their take home pay. The role of the unions and the democratic party will probably only come into question in workers minds when this is over and the dust settles. I hope this at least signals the end of labor peace and a start of new period of struggle.

Imposter Marxist

21st February 2011, 20:47

workers are pissed off, and they are flooding this place. any comrades staying the night with me?

21st February 2011, 21:53

http://www.forwardwi.net

Please forward this far and wide. Join the FB page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Forward-Wisconsin/127628957309183) that was just created, as well, and invite all your friends. Going to be trying to build this site into a major news outlet for these developments. Email submissions to us at the listed email if you have anything to add!

Rosa Lichtenstein

21st February 2011, 21:57

PR Watch live reports on how the media and the politicians are in each others pockets iver Wisconsin:

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/02/9944/live-reporting-wisconsin-protests

Our writers are on the frontlines in Wisconsin reporting on the historic protests in Wisconsin, the largest and most sustained in decades. Please tune in to our live updates here (http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/02/9944/live-reporting-wisconsin-protests).

While most of the national corporate media continues to reprint the new governor's talking points from his FOX appearances, the Center for Media and Democracy is working with other outlets to help share live reports with the state, the nation, and the world. You can follow our reports and photo coverage (http://www.prwatch.org/gallery/wisconsin-protests) on Facebook here (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Media-and-Democracy/26791377138).

We have helped document how the radical effort to destroy key rights for Wisconsin workers is being spun as simply "budget repair," and that these sorts of shell games are part of a larger agenda being fueled by some of the wealthiest CEOs and companies in the U.S. to advance the right-wing agenda and divide the nation. Our in-depth analysis of the role of the billionaire Koch brothers in putting Scott Walker and other tools of their agenda in office in the 2010 election is available here.

The events in Wisconsin are part of a larger series of events in state houses across the U.S., in Ohio and Indiana and elsewhere, to use politicians elected on promises of job creation to roll back decades of rights and protections for working people in the U.S. And, we will be reporting on Karl Rove and other right-wing spinmasters trying to spread disinformation about these issues and related issues. You can follow our twitter feed on these and other stories of corporate spin here.

CMD has also signed on to support the Wisconsin WAVE, a wave of local democratic resistance to measures that are being pushed to subsidize tax cuts for corporations that have funded political campaigns and out-sourced American jobs. More on this effort, which is the first that will be launched in several states, is available here.

We hope you'll link to our live blog, "like" our Facebook posts on this issues, and share our tweets from Madison.

CMD = Campaign for Media Democracy

These characters are experts at exposing the corrupt media.

the last donut of the night

21st February 2011, 23:28

funny comic:

http://www.caglecartoons.com/images/preview/%7B20f346be-2222-4bf9-b96a-f7c959b48ca6%7D.gif

YSR

21st February 2011, 23:32

I drove down on Saturday. A few bullets:

-So many freaking people. It's awesome. Really awesome to have conversations with workers, folks are really agitated. When we talked about ways to move things forward, lots of folks were picking up on the vibe about a recall vote for the senators who vote for it. I think that this is bad strategy and wondered who is putting it out there. When I pointed out that the law will have already passed before a recall vote could happen, folks acknowledged this but expressed frustration that they couldn't think of anything else to do now. There's a lack of leadership and of ideas being put out there. When I talked with folks about what they thought about a general strike, seriously 100% of people said they thought it would work and that they'd be down to do it.

-Had a lot of trouble figuring out who the leadership is. One former TAA organizer who was there told me that she thought the president of the prison guards union was pulling a lot of the strings and that he's naturally very conservative. The occupation seems (or seemed on Sat) to be very much run by students, which is great because while they're hard to organize at least they're not run by the business unions. I keep hearing that AFLCIO and SEIU are bringing in staffers to displace rank-and-file workers and students, which I totally believe, but wasn't there long enough to see that playing out.

-How do we move from here? Not only concretely, as in "how do we help WI workers organize in a way that makes them win this fight?" but also more broadly "what does this say about the role of the business unions and their ability to fight the capitalist class in today's U.S.?" and pushing forward "how can we build on this and other related fights and connect more rank-and-file unionists and unorganized workers and build larger, more militant units of struggle?"

To the second question, I'm surprised to say that I think the big unions did a good job of coordinating things in Madison. The huge other side to that coin though is that they are willing, in fact even playing up on the fact that they're willing, to sacrifice lots of things to keep collective bargaining. Obviously that is the most important element, but they're entering into this debate already ceding a lot of ground to the bosses and the state. The rank-and-file says "yeah, we're willing to give things up" because I think that message has gotten out there from the leadership as the message to be sending. But simultaneously the rank-and-file seemed to not give a shit about the right-wing media and be consciously against it, so why worry so much what Fox News will say? Why not say "we want collective bargaining and we want more!" I think the business union leadership is putting out a losing message and hoping that they sound like martyrs.

That's just on the level of messaging though. I don't know a whole lot about the logistics of the business unions in making this happen, but I can tell you that a lot of folks on teh street on Saturday were there with their own cars and on their own accord. The AFT (I think) or maybe the AFL-CIO brought in mad buses which was cool, but I don't know how long they can afford to do that.

Kassad

22nd February 2011, 00:07

The PSL has members there. They've distributed thousands of leaflets and have gotten a pretty sizable response to a petition being circulated there. www.PSLweb.org has a Twitter live feed that is updated every 30 minutes or so and we've released a half dozen or so articles regarding the labor struggle there. This movement is monumental and revolutionaries need to use this opportunity to educate and agitate within the working class.

Ele'ill

22nd February 2011, 00:09

Egypt - Wisconsin pizza

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/02/406341.shtml

Also- WA- http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2011/02/21/washington-state-employees-rally-in-solidarity-with-wisconsin/

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/files/2011/02/rally-480x360.jpg

Rocky Rococo

22nd February 2011, 00:17

The huge other side to that coin though is that they are willing, in fact even playing up on the fact that they're willing, to sacrifice lots of things to keep collective bargaining. Obviously that is the most important element, but they're entering into this debate already ceding a lot of ground to the bosses and the state. The rank-and-file says "yeah, we're willing to give things up" because I think that message has gotten out there from the leadership as the message to be sending. But simultaneously the rank-and-file seemed to not give a shit about the right-wing media and be consciously against it, so why worry so much what Fox News will say? Why not say "we want collective bargaining and we want more!" I think the business union leadership is putting out a losing message and hoping that they sound like martyrs.

Well, that's what they do, they "pre-compromise" themselves, Dems, business unions, the whole "reformist" "good cop" apparat of hegemonic capital. Pre-compromise guarantees that the people lose, the only question is how badly, and since pre-compromising only sets the starting place, the subsequent capitulations are horrendously nauseating, like Obama's Mandatory Enrich the Insurance Executives Reform. It makes rather a mockery of this great struggle to retain collective bargaining when that process will only be used to sell the workers out. Of course, as mentioned above, it does keep those fat paychecks rolling in for the union hierarchs.

syndicat

22nd February 2011, 00:27

from Kamal Abbas of the Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services in Egypt:

'We Stand With You as You Stood With Us': Statement to Workers of Wisconsin by Kamal Abbas of Egypt's Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services (http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/statement-kamal-abbas)

About Kamal Abbas and the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services:
Kamal Abbas is General Coordinator of the CTUWS, an umbrella advocacy organization for independent unions in Egypt. The CTUWS, which was awarded the 1999 French Republic's Human Rights Prize, sufferedrepeated harassment and attack (http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/899/eg8.htm) by the Mubarak regime, and played a leading role in its overthrow. Abbas, who witnessed friends killed by the regime during the 1989 Helwan steel strike and was himself arrested and threatened numerous times, has received extensive international recognition for his union and civil society leadership.
Embed code available here (http://www.overstream.net/view.php?oid=njsyugrfn7if).
English translation follows, below:

The poster in the background shows photographs of some of the recent young victims of the Mubarak government. The writing says they are among the martyrs of the 25 January Revolution.
KAMAL ABBAS: I am speaking to you from a place very close to Tahrir Square in Cairo, "Liberation Square", which was the heart of the Revolution in Egypt. This is the place were many of our youth paid with their lives and blood in the struggle for our just rights.
>From this place, I want you to know that we stand with you as you stood with us.
I want you to know that no power can challenge the will of the people when they believe in their rights. When they raise their voices loud and clear and struggle against exploitation.
No one believed that our revolution could succeed against the strongest dictatorship in the region. But in 18 days the revolution achieved the victory of the people. When the working class of Egypt joined the revolution on 9 and 10 February, the dictatorship was doomed and the victory of the people became inevitable.
We want you to know that we stand on your side. Stand firm and don't waiver. Don't give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights.
We and all the people of the world stand on your side and give you our full support.
As our just struggle for freedom, democracy and justice succeeded, your struggle will succeed. Victory belongs to you when you stand firm and remain steadfast in demanding your just rights.
We support you. we support the struggle of the peoples of Libya, Bahrain and Algeria, who are fighting for their just rights and falling martyrs in the face of the autocratic regimes. The peoples are determined to succeed no matter the sacrifices and they will be victorious.
Today is the day of the American workers. We salute you American workers! You will be victorious. Victory belongs to all the people of the world, who are fighting against exploitation, and for their just rights.

syndicat

22nd February 2011, 00:32

from latest reports I've heard, AFL-CIO marshalls are all over the place and the international unions and AFL-CIO have moved quickly to take control of the movement. if they succeed, what's likely is some bad deal where they "compromise" by accepting the proposed pension and health care increases in exchange for dropping the threat to collecting bargaining rights. This is in fact what the Dems in the state legislature have proposed.

to avoid this, there'd need to be a rather extensive networking and organizing of people on the ground, particularly from local unions, to have their own open meetings and take control of what is an acceptable solution and to take direction of the struggle.

Rosa Lichtenstein

22nd February 2011, 00:52

Don't you think the level of anger over this is too strong for them to seize control so easily?

syndicat

22nd February 2011, 01:06

Don't you think the level of anger over this is too strong for them to seize control so easily?

it may not be easy for them but without an ORGANIZED alternative they will be able to. the tradition of militancy has been largely snuffed out in this country over the past 40 or more years. redeveloping this, and learning how to self-organize, is not automatic.

notice that a lot of the anger is over the overt expression of a dictatorial intent...to deny workers any say in their working conditions etc. by pushing back that threat, the bureaucrats can use a compromise to defuse things. the miovement isn't right now clearly keeping in mind the attack on pension and health care benefits of public workers, of solving the "crisis" on the backs of workers.

up to now the AFL-CIO has refused to raise the demand to tax the rich as a way to push back all the attacks on public workers and social services. instead they fall into their usual practice of concession bargaining and slavish subservience to Dem politicians.

S.Artesian

22nd February 2011, 01:15

They, the union bureaucracies, the AFL-CIO, don't have to control the entire movement, they just have to be able to convince some that they, the AFL-CIO are the only hope; that "compromise," i.e defeat, is the only alternative-- that the movement has no better alternative to the old lobbying efforts; to the isolation of organized from unorganized labor; the separation of the struggle to keep collective bargaining rights from a struggle against unemployment; the separation of the struggle for maintaining health care and pensions from health care and guaranteed living incomes for all.

Doesn't matter that these monetarist/liquidationist Republicans won't compromise-- all that matters is that the workers don't develop any new organization that crosses union boundaries to advance the struggle.

redasheville

22nd February 2011, 01:17

S.Artesian

22nd February 2011, 01:34

Rusty Shackleford

22nd February 2011, 01:52

i want to order some pizza or some type of delivery but i doubt i could make a large enough contribution.

has anyone else done this? i heard people were doing it a few pages earlier.

RedTrackWorker

22nd February 2011, 01:52

The Madison branches of the ISO and Solidarity have both be distributing statements at the demonstrations calling for no concessions/compromise

ISO's statement:
Here (http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/21/no-concessions-in-wisconsin)
Solidarity's statement:
Here (http://www.solidarity-us.org/current/node/3167)

We want the rich and corporations to pay their fair share. We are still the richest country in the world, but we workers are not better off for it. That's why we call for no cuts to our benefits or wages.
Really? Marx said to base the workers' struggle on the slogan for a fair wage was like organizing a slave rebellion because of undernourishment, what would he say about organizing it based on the rich paying their "fair share"? The kind of argument--"there's plenty of money!", "there's no crisis!"--is dangerous because 1) it implies if there were "really" a crisis then one should support the cuts and 2) it doesn't point to a way forward and can disorient the movement (because it's like what, are you going to convince the bourgeoisie not to attack you because "like guys, you've really got the money"?). The ISO and Solidarity statements both basically say "We have the power to put this down without ceding any ground." Okay, how? There's no strategy for dealing with the union bureaucracy and Democrats trying to cut a deal, there's no strategy for consolidating and expanding the struggle, just this "there's no crisis, leave us alone please!"
The IWW comrade YSR said people responded positively to the idea of a general strike. I'd like to hear how people are fighting for that idea. Union motions? Mass meetings to vote to recommend it?

That's on the immediate tactical perspective. Call me sectarian all you want but I'm going to tell the truth: the ISO statement makes my stomach turn. When I saw they had a statement, rather than articles which don't take firm positions, I was actually kind of hopeful that though I don't trust their leaders at all, that they'd take some kind of decent position, but this:

We want the rich and corporations to pay their fair share. We are still the richest country in the world, but we workers are not better off for it. That's why we call for no cuts to our benefits or wages.

is pushing populism and nationalism.... "we workers are not better off for it [that we're in] the richest country in the world"?? For one, that's just not true. We are "better off" than workers in say....Libya, but for another, the idea that "we" workers should have our fair share of our nation's wealth is...well, the Cliffites know what Marx would say yet they do it anyway. We push for no cuts because "we are still the richest country"! Not even "we are in the richest country" but "we are"! Workers have no country, no flag and need to build a new society? Or should "we" just get the rich to pay their fair share?
Yeah I'm pissed, this is coming right after hearing their "personality" Sherry Wolf "talks back" speak at a meeting they sponsored and not say a damn word against the main and only speaker for 1) denouncing workers' revolution and 2) saying the Israeli settlements were good because they'd force the Palestinians and Israelis to work together. She just made some fluff journalistic comment and that was that for this supposed revolutionary. The workers of the world who are sacrificing their lives now in the struggle in some places and sacrificing on a lower level but still sacrificing in Wisconsin, those workers deserve better.

Ele'ill

22nd February 2011, 02:21

We need this- but as Class War Drum Corps

http://www.pdxdrums.org/

redasheville

22nd February 2011, 02:21

They can demand anything they want, but until an organization gets built that is not simpy an organization for recruiting members into the ISO, an organization that is of the workers addressing the needs of the workers as a class in this struggle, the statements are simply moral exercises.

I would agree that such organization needs to be built. I'm not on the ground there so I can't comment on the prospects for building such organizations, but I will say that part of the process of winning this fight includes winning the argument against concessions. An organization that "addresses the needs of workers as a class in this struggle" isn't going to fall out of the sky, and it can't be created by (mostly) isolated socialist groups either, unfortunately.

syndicat

22nd February 2011, 02:23

black magick hustla

22nd February 2011, 02:40

fuck it im going this weekend wisconsinites dont dissappoint us cuz maldoror and his hella cool possee are comin'

S.Artesian

22nd February 2011, 02:42

And I agree with Syndicat and Red Track Worker. In truth, I skimmed the ISO statement and missed that truly nausea inducing part RTW cites.

Fair share? Fair share? Does that mean there's a share left over that the bourgeois fairly should not pay? That the workers should pay? Keerist, these people ought to be ashamed of themselves.

black magick hustla

22nd February 2011, 02:43

so fucking stoked

redasheville

22nd February 2011, 02:53

i agree with S.Artesian and RedTrackWorker here. calling for the rich to pay a "fair share" is absurd. rather, it should be, "It's their crisis, let them pay the whole bill." "paying their fair share" will play into the inevtiable union bureaucrat compromise sellouts.

the IWW in Wisconsin has produced a leaflet calling for a general strike. this at least poses a particular course of action that people in local unions and other organizations could organize around.

Your critique of the language is valid, I agree that something like "It's their crisis let them pay the whole bill" is a better formulation. However, the point of both the statements I cited was to win folks away from accepting the concessions that the DP and the union bureaucracy are trying to force the movement to accept. This is an essential argument for our side to win.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 03:16

fuck it im going this weekend wisconsinites dont dissappoint us cuz maldoror and his hella cool possee are comin'

big lefty get together this weekend?

lol

from latest reports I've heard, AFL-CIO marshalls are all over the place and the international unions and AFL-CIO have moved quickly to take control of the movement. if they succeed, what's likely is some bad deal where they "compromise" by accepting the proposed pension and health care increases in exchange for dropping the threat to collecting bargaining rights. This is in fact what the Dems in the state legislature have proposed.

senate republicans have said they won't budge and walker has as much as stated in an interview with the wisconsin state journal that he wants to destroy the unions, full stop, not negotiate at all. this could be key in pushing things past the bureaucrats.

ckaihatsu

22nd February 2011, 03:18

Just got back from protesting there today. Stunning, if a little on the populist side of things -- people are solid, though. The changed atmosphere is such a difference from just a few years ago, even from the whole Obama thing when it was happening.

I mentioned in conversation with someone there that many had put their hopes in Obama and now are realizing that they have to do it themselves (ourselves) if it's going to happen -- all it takes is a trigger now from the right to set things off and solidarize people together on a mass common basis.

I compare it to the immigrants rights marches of 2006 and others more recently.

Sunday's rally was very large, today's wasn't bad for being a holiday, but there are calls for "reinforcements" to make it to Madison...(!)

Ele'ill

22nd February 2011, 03:26

$500 and I'll be there tomorrow. Unless someone can find me cheap tickets somewhere. Cheap as in free car pool road trip from Cascadia to halfway across the country. I can drop like 200 on gas.

Ele'ill

22nd February 2011, 04:49

Hey, is there a fnB chapter out there?

NoOneIsIllegal

22nd February 2011, 05:02

the IWW in Wisconsin has produced a leaflet calling for a general strike. this at least poses a particular course of action that people in local unions and other organizations could organize around.
If anyone wanted to see, this is the best picture I have of it so far:

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183371_1778640316034_1540170605_31789845_5234153_n .jpg

Rusty Shackleford

22nd February 2011, 05:28

Solano County Tea Party Patriots are organizing a counter rally (http://connect.freedomworks.org/node/63427) in Sacramento tomorrow at 530 pm.

the SEIU called for a vilgil and solidarity action in Sac tomorrow at 530 pm.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 05:29

We need this- but as Class War Drum Corps

http://www.pdxdrums.org/

there's a radical marching band or something here, i saw a flier for it at the capitol.

Hey, is there a fnB chapter out there?

not that i know of, there has been no shortage of awesome free food (way better than anything fnb could've put together sad to say)

re: general strike,

there was a poster up at the capitol from socialist alternative talking about organizing a one day (:confused:) general strike with... some union i forget, not iww but one of the bigger ones.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 05:30

http://www.forwardwi.net/

RedTrackWorker

22nd February 2011, 05:33

Your critique of the language is valid, I agree that something like "It's their crisis let them pay the whole bill" is a better formulation. However, the point of both the statements I cited was to win folks away from accepting the concessions that the DP and the union bureaucracy are trying to force the movement to accept. This is an essential argument for our side to win.

First, as important as the issue of "no concessions" is, for a revolutionary trying to overthrow the ruling class it can't override confronting populism and nationalism.
Second, from a pragmatic tactical perspective, this "there is no crisis, you've got the money" argument undermines a "no concessions" perspective by confusing people who realize 1) there is a worldwide economic crisis after all, even if the capitalists are lieing about this particular budget issue and 2) as syndicat said, "fair share" paves the way for compromise just as "chop from the top" does--they just have to say "okay, we take a paycut too" or whatever. In other words, the statements say "no concessions" but their arguments do not prepare the workers to deal with the likely compromises from their union leaders and the Democrats!
Further, the question raised by "no concessions" is how?--how do we win that? It's only argument is the "there's no crisis, we're rich!" Without a perspective for developing the struggle and dealing with the union tops and Democrats, protesters would be right to wonder if holding out for more may actually cause them to lose everything.
So as you say, the "no concessions" argument is essential right now for this struggle, but the ISO and Solidarity put forward arguments that undermine it at every turn. What kind of political leadership is that?

RedTrackWorker

22nd February 2011, 05:45

there was a poster up at the capitol from socialist alternative talking about organizing a one day (:confused:) general strike with... some union i forget, not iww but one of the bigger ones.

Yeah...I was having an argument with the CWI on a thread about Ireland (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2026935#post2026935) on the question of an "unlimited" general strike to stop the austerity attacks, which--while they're not challenging collective bargaining rights per se that I know of--are in every other way worse and more far reaching than the ones in Wisconsin (see letter from Ireland (http://www.lrp-cofi.org/letters/leftalliance021811.html) on our website for more on that). But the CWI comrades were basically saying I'm crazy for saying the general strike should be declared to continue till it wins, even though I pointed out the French struggle against pension reforms lost precisely because without this, the union leaders and reformist parties were able to contain the struggle. So I see they're spreading their same confusion in Wisconsin. Yet, despite that confusion, they can claim to have a leg up on the ISO and Solidarity whose statements so far would rather appeal to the national wealth as the source of victory rather than working-class action.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 05:55

Rusty Shackleford

22nd February 2011, 05:59

and that view will grow in the coming weeks if this struggle expands. that capitalism must end.

syndicat

22nd February 2011, 06:17

i'm skeptical of the idea that the rich paying their fair share is even a reasonable solution to the crisis. capitalism is in a very troubled spot right now and the austerity measures are being introduced so that the status quo can be more or less maintained for those in power. if it was simply a matter of them shoveling money down the ladder to shut everyone on the bottom up, they would probably prefer that to rising social antagonism. the only solution to the crisis is to end capitalism.

how do you know? since the '70s a major emphasis of the plutocracy has been getting their tax burden reduced, and they have been highly successful at this. maximum tax rate after World War 2 was 90 percent for income tax, and similar high rates for corp taxes.

in the Wisconsin case, the various tax breaks the Repubs gave away just recently would have covered the alleged amount they would save from their proposed increases of contributions to pensions and health care.

you are unrealistic in that you fail to consider that the capitalist elite are very intent on keeping a high profit rate. the big drop in their profit rate in the '70s led to the millionaires financing all the think tanks and union busting law firms and what not that have been used to develop a pro-corporate program, buy politicians, break unions, move jobs overseas, etc. profits and class power are directly related. the drop in profits in '70s led directly to the neo-liberal era...and the new course which has been very successful for the elite in pumping up their profit rate.

they will not make concessions that will cost them money unless they are forced to.

Die Neue Zeit

22nd February 2011, 06:22

The notion of neoliberal high profit rates is an illusion. It goes against the concepts of surplus value, fictitious capital, tendencies of the rate of profit to fall, and even empirical observation of lower GDP growth rates than the post-war boom.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 06:27

the fact that most of the recent "booms" have been in fictitious nonsense should be a pretty big clue too.

and anyway i don't want the rich to pay a fair share either way, i want them to fuck off

Tablo

22nd February 2011, 06:31

Eat the rich.

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 06:42

can we get them on a pizza for the capitol?

Tablo

22nd February 2011, 06:54

can we get them on a pizza for the capitol?
I don't see why not! :lol:

Os Cangaceiros

22nd February 2011, 06:57

I heard on the radio earlier that Scott Walker is going to give a "fireside chat" to Wisconsin tomorrow. I also heard that he's re-iterated his commitment to the initial plan and will not compromise, claiming that "we're broke".

HEAD ICE

22nd February 2011, 07:00

Such a shame he sullied this mans good name
CUS1XDIIhTE

bcbm

22nd February 2011, 07:02

latest news

update: Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is hosting it's Business Day in Wisconsin event at the Monona Terrace on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Both Paul Ryan and Scott Walker will be guest speakers. Monona Terrace workers said they have to bring the men in the back way through the kitchen...it would be a pity if those routes were blocked by carts or something like that.... Anyway, protest called for the time they're there. Ryan is scheduled to speak at 1:45-2:45pm and Walker from 3-4 pm.

Also I hear Amy Goodman is coming I think on Friday (she was scheduled to speak in Milwaukee but I think she's coming to Madison instead or as well.

ALSO important for tomorrow (Tuesday). 600 additional police coming to capital. New rules on getting in and out of Capital will involve metal detectors and also 10 people at a time will be allowed in ...so slowing down the in and out process probably for some sort of fear for the legislators.

Amphictyonis

22nd February 2011, 07:18

Next up Jerry Brown in California. Can't wait. I plan on getting arrested for something totally harmless when the cuts and protests start in full gear :) I say in lieu of protesting in the city as we always do we all go into the suburbs of the Bay Area. This would cause a shit storm. Protests in San Fransisco/Sacramento are a dime a dozen and accomplish NOTHING (well, they have shut down business a couple times). We need to hit the suburbs to actually get to the working class because the cities have been gentrified.

(been saying this in local meetings and people look at me like a deer in the headlights).

Rusty Shackleford

22nd February 2011, 07:20

how about marches in the suburbs? at 2 am

Amphictyonis

22nd February 2011, 07:22

how about marches in the suburbs? at 2 am

I think high noon would be better, this soundtrack playing over the loud speakers:

1hYV-JSjpyU

Tea Party Vs people living in reality take one!

ckaihatsu

22nd February 2011, 07:26

The political slogans on placards were pretty good overall, but this one was probably the most incisive and telling:

http://s1.postimage.org/v3pfd1y8k/FILE0012_JPG_psd.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

(Faces are blurred out because they'll be the ones presiding over the trial of corporate criminals.)(grin)

Amphictyonis

22nd February 2011, 07:42

Like when just a couple hundred of us went to Walnut Creek to protest the "Support" protest for the officer who murdered Oscar Grant- it was all over the bay area news. Protests in SF don't make it to prime time news. If we brought scores of thousands of people to the suburbs it would be like no other protest/direct action event we've experienced in our lifetime. In fact, it would be better to go to the richest cities, Danville, Blackhawk, Moraga etc. The more conservative the better.

22nd February 2011, 07:55

Yeah...I was having an argument with the CWI on a thread about Ireland (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2026935#post2026935) on the question of an "unlimited" general strike to stop the austerity attacks, which--while they're not challenging collective bargaining rights per se that I know of--are in every other way worse and more far reaching than the ones in Wisconsin (see letter from Ireland (http://www.lrp-cofi.org/letters/leftalliance021811.html) on our website for more on that). But the CWI comrades were basically saying I'm crazy for saying the general strike should be declared to continue till it wins, even though I pointed out the French struggle against pension reforms lost precisely because without this, the union leaders and reformist parties were able to contain the struggle. So I see they're spreading their same confusion in Wisconsin. Yet, despite that confusion, they can claim to have a leg up on the ISO and Solidarity whose statements so far would rather appeal to the national wealth as the source of victory rather than working-class action.

Also, I confirmed that the 4 members speaking at the discussion about a one day general strike were all Socialist Alternative members - even the union members advertised to speak.

In other words, they're not engaging broader forces, they're just pulling from within their ranks to try to engineer one themselves, which is obviously absurd.

ckaihatsu

22nd February 2011, 08:07

re: general strike,

there was a poster up at the capitol from socialist alternative talking about organizing a one day (:confused:) general strike with... some union i forget, not iww but one of the bigger ones.

AFSCME -- ?

http://s2.postimage.org/3jgj2yuxw/110221_FILE0041_JPG_psd.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

22nd February 2011, 08:12

AFSCME -- ?Stephen Edwards is also a member of Socialist Alternative.

BTW, don't tear me out for saying that, he was openly tabling with his own name, and I think it's important that people realize what Socialist Alternative is doing here.

Also, there was no coordination between the IWW and SA about their respective general strikes, so it appears that we're going to have two general strikes on our hands. How pitiful.

ckaihatsu

22nd February 2011, 08:13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 466 .... February 21, 2011
_______________________________________________

A New American Workers' Movement Has Begun

Dan La Botz

Thousands of workers demonstrated at the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin on February 15 and 16 to protest plans by that state's Republican Governor Scott Walker to take away the state workers' union rights. Walker, cleverly attempted to divide the public workers by excluding police and firefighters from his anti-union law, and the media have worked to divide public employees against private sector workers. Yet, both firemen and private sector workers showed up at the statehouse to join public workers of all sorts in what has been one of the largest workers' demonstrations in the United States in decades. Only California has seen demonstrations as large as these in recent years.

Many demonstrators, taking a clue from the rebellions against authoritarian and anti-worker governments that are sweeping the Middle East, carried signs saying, “Let's negotiate like they do in Egypt.” While the situation in Wisconsin is hardly comparable to the revolution in the Arab world, what we are witnessing is the beginning of a new American workers' movement. Because this movement is so different than what many expected, it may take us by surprise.

Click here to continue reading

http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/466.php#continue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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